Vader: The Goblins Bane
by DWAR
Summary: What happens when Darth Vader is transported to the Goblin Slayer Universe? Read and find out. Rating may be raised at a later point due to content.
1. Intro

(Prologue)

Though it had been decades since that awful night in the wastes, the events of the past few days, which were far too similar in nature to that moment where he had first stepped into darkness, granted him a clarity that was almost as if it had only been yesterday since he held his dying mother in his arms.

Gone had been the strong, gentle woman that had comforted him whenever their master sought a convenient outlet to vent his frustrations of the day. For it had been replaced by a bruised, and broken creature whose only relation to his mother had been the strength of her spirit.

The man who had freed her from Watto had told him that Shmi had been missing for months, which meant that she had clung to life, far past what any other human being would do, just so she could see her son one last time.

He could still feel the calloused, but gentle touch of her hand as she tried to take in the image of her grown up son. But as he desperately tried to retain his composure as he sought to reassure her that she was now safe, she finally succumbed to her wounds, with her last words trying to tell him that she loved him.

For a moment, he had clutched her body to him as he stifled the urge to vocalize his pain at the same time he was broadcasting his emotions to the currents of the universe.

It was only after he heard the gurgled laughing of his mother's butchers that he allowed his emotions to take over and grant them the reward that they deserved.

All of them. Be they man, woman or child, they had all fallen to his blade. And while he told his yet to be wife that he was disgusted with his actions in order to try and prove that he was still worthy to be called a human being, in truth he enjoyed it for it reminded him of why he had become a Jedi in the first place.

To protect those who could not protect themselves.

Yes revenge had been a part of it, but before Sidious taught him that it was better to embrace these feelings rather than cast them aside, but he believed that he was doing the planet a favor by getting rid of those...creatures who survived by bringing misery to others.

And despite the years since that night when he lost the one person whose love might very well have surpassed his beloved wife, he was currently facing a situation that made it seem like it was only yesterday.

Albeit this time he had no personal ties with the victims of these monsters.

For like the people of Tatooine, the people of this society viewed these mutated raiders as an easily handled pest that were not only the concern of those who dwelt beyond the protection of the main settlements, but could be taken care of by even the least experienced of warriors.

And like the Tusken Raiders, these Goblins were a more dangerous, not to mention depraved adversary than they first appeared.

Ferocious in numbers. Natural ambushers. And a tendency for perverted cruelty that had their victims crying out for death.

They were animals. And he would enjoy slaughtering them like animals.

...

**Hey Everyone. Recently got into Goblinslayer, and I have to say...its enjoyable..despite the VERY graphic content.**

**Came up with the idea of having a story where the most badass villain in Sci Fi history joins in to help exterminate Goblinkind. Cause lets face it...Darth Vader with his force abilities and lightsaber killing a bunch of raping monsters sounds awesome. **

**Still working on how he shows up in the GS universe...thinking the standard 'Force Gives him another chance'. But what point does the change happen I'm still trying to decide (i.e. dies in blast of 1st Death Star, after return of Jedi, etc).**

**For this story...thinking he's gonna stay in the suit, but with potential for improving it. Cause afterall...magic XD.**

**Anyways..tell me what you think. **

**AND HOPEFULLY...this influences others to write similar stories for this series XD**


	2. A Blade In The Dark

Considering the list of crimes he had committed in his life, both as his tenure as a Jedi and then later as a Sith Lord, the man formerly known as Anakin Skywalker was hardly surprised that his death hadn't resulted in an escape from his pain.

For a brief moment after his death, his appearance resembled what it could have been if his body had been fully organic, but after fading from the view of his son, the Force had seen fit to punish him by transforming his spirit into the symbol of oppression that had bestrode the galaxy for over 2 decades.

And like his existence under the man he had been forced to call master, his current appearance was designed to not only instill terror in those who looked upon him, but also punish his body for his greatest failures.

Mechanical limbs that sent stabbing sensations into his ruined flesh every time he moved them, with his arms giving him the sensation that they would tear themselves out if they remained at rest.

The sensation that he would be crushed under his own weight if he took even the smallest step forward.

And the most memorable of all, the burning sensation that came with every breath of air that was artificially pushed and pulled into his charred lungs.

For the man who was complicit in the untold suffering of billions, spending eternity trapped in the Force's representation of his mobile prison was an adequate punishment.

However, while he was resigned to his fate, for despite his actions in saving his son he still had much to atone for, the man whose actions had influenced the entire galaxy, was mildly curious at the fact that his connection to the Force, rather than being severed or even expanded to increase his suffering, was exactly the same as it had been before his duel with his son.

Thanks to mutilation he had experienced at the hands of Kenobi, the former Jedi had been forced to compensate for his loss of nearly half his force potential by increasing his ability to control what was left to him. Of course it had been insufficient to free himself from Sidious's control, for he sensed that he had perhaps 80% of the Sith master's power, but it had nevertheless cemented his position as the most powerful apprentice the Emperor had ever commanded.

And as he sought to get a better understand of why in death he still possessed the abilities that had defined his career as both a Jedi and Sith, the armored man was hit with sensation that he had become most intimate with during the past 24 years.

Mounting terror.

Reaching out with his senses, he was able to pinpoint the disturbance with nearly surgical clarity. For while Luke might have caused him to experience the same selfless behavior that had defined his tenure as a Jedi, he was still more comfortable following the currents of the Dark Side of the Force.

And while this planet was teeming with individuals whose alignment was firmly entrenched within the light, there were also countless denizens, not unlike those that existed in front of him, whose actions served to strengthen the darker impulses of the universe spanning energy field.

Hate.

Anger.

These were emotions that could be easily felt by him, especially since they seemed to be generated by 30 sentient beings whose singlemindedness was admirable, if more than slightly feral in nature.

But these emotions were easily dwarfed by the one that appeared to be coming from those whose signature in the Force had previously been in the light.

Fear.

Curious as to what could inspire such a feeling, and receiving a gentle nudge from the Force to investigate, the black armored being picked himself off the ground and walked towards the disturbance.

It was only thanks to another subtle move from the source of his power that he turned his helmeted visage back to where he had fallen and noticed something that once again caused his former mentor's chiding tone to enter his head.

Scowling as he was forced to admit that Kenobi had at least had one valuable teaching, the Force user raised his arm to catch the currently deactivated weapon in his hand.

For he suspected that he would soon have need of it.

…

Cackling evilly as his equally malicious minions threw their latest captives at his feet, the goblin chieftain took his time to analyse his 'gifts' before making the decision that all leaders of his kind had to make.

Which captive would have the honor of being the first to receive his seed? And which ones would be used for the amusement of his men?

It mattered little in the grand scheme of things since all runts were treated the same, even those that were fathered by Goblin Lords and other high ranking members of their kind, but that wasn't the point.

It was his duty to increase their numbers with human women, and it was his privilege to be the first one to break the spirit of their captives with his desire for pleasure.

Of course he had every intention of 'sampling' the other 2 once his flesh had recovered enough to take what his spirit wanted, but since his position was secured by making it plain that HE was to get first pick, there was considerable pressure to ensure that his choice was worthy of his position.

_'Lets see. The one on the right has most of her meat in the lower half, with almost none up top. Good if I wanted to take her from the rear, but I feel in the mood to grab a females tits while I'm inside her. The one in the middle, not too bad. Nice toned legs, decent sized chest, but that glare of hers means that it might be tougher to break her in. The one of the left….hmm…bit on the unripe side, but then, the young ones are always fun to watch when they scream in in pain'._

_._

Gesturing with a dirty claw to have the youngest member of the trio brought forward, and idly noting that his boys were already howling in pleasure as they proceeded to position their leader's rejections in a manner that would be as pleasurable for them as it would be painful for the women, the middle aged goblin untied his loin cloth and advanced on the girl who smelt as if her body had only just recently become ripe for mother hood.

However, before he do more than spread her legs, for unlike his minions he enjoyed it when his toys had illusion of preventing what was going to happen, the breeding chamber was filled with the terror filled cries of one of his scouts.

Snarling at having his fun delayed, though he noticed with some satisfaction that the others had waited for him to take the first plunge before enjoying their own breeding partners, the goblin leader was about to yell at the babbling scout, whose position had ensured that he and others like him would never get first, or even 4th choice of the women they captured, when the unfortunate goblin went flying back into the darkened tunnel that connected his throne room to the twisting pathways of his kingdom.

And as he began to shout orders at his minions to deal with this magic using intruder, his voice was drowned out by the booming echoes of what could only loosely be described as breathing.

_'KHOOOOH PUUUHRR'_

…..

Though it had been some time since he had felt any emotion that reminded him of his former self, his fatherly instincts towards the last remaining link to his wife notwithstanding, the armored behemoth found it particularly amusing to cut down these stunted mutants in a fashion that was almost similar to how he and his former apprentice had dealt with the droid forces of the Separatists.

But unlike the battle droids of the CIS, these creatures were capable of feeling emotions as they found their efforts to overwhelm him end in failure.

If they had chosen to face him in the open, they might have stood a better chance, for he would have been forced to divide his attention towards his complete surroundings instead of just in front of him. But since they appeared to dislike fighting with the planet's sun shining over them, they had opted for fighting them in terrain that would have given them the home advantage.

However, with their primitive weapons and crude sense of tactics, they were no match for him.

Even without his lightsaber.

First he had dealt with the 2 creatures that had been standing guard outside their cave.

Due to the weakness of their mind, he could simply have used a mind trick in order to get them to leave and never look. But after delving into their thoughts, which was a simple chore for him to do since they possessed a simple mindedness that could put even his wife's Gungan ally to shame, he had quickly concluded that they deserved a much more permanent fate.

In his tenure as the Emperor's right hand, he had executed countless beings for crimes that were far less deserving that what these animals had committed. And it was precisely for that reason that he derived great satisfaction as he chocked the life out of the green skinned monsters.

For while he had no issues in using the force to weed out the virus of incompetence and treason within the ranks of his forces, the lingering elements of his Jedi training ensured that the act of killing those who behaved like animals served to fill him with a sense of righteousness.

A trait that was both encouraged, and mocked by his Sith Master.

After he had dispatched the 2 guards, the armored force user had proceeded to venture deeper into the cave, using his helmet and his senses to lead him deeper into the darkened passageways of this underground nest.

Unfortunately, his reliance on his suit's respiratory system had ensured that his descent was far from stealthy.

But that didn't halt his progress into the depths.

Every time he came across these creatures, who either charged at him from some cleverly concealed chamber, though from his senses there was no hope of hiding, or attempted to literally stab him in the back, his strength in the Force allowed him to brutally, yet efficiently deal with these abominations in a lethal fashion.

Force chokes.

Waving his hand to send their child sized bodies flying into the wall or ceiling.

And one particular incident where he had levitated 2 still living creatures to act as a shield before sending them crashing into their compatriots with a well-aimed force blast.

Unfortunately, while that last attack had managed to bring his kill count to around 24, one of the creatures, in a rare display of intelligence, had chosen to do the one thing that would delay its well deserved fate.

Running away.

However, since it had fled in the direction from where he could feel the justified fear of those he now suspected to be their captives, the former Jedi followed the creature with the same sense of purpose one would expect from a predator that had cornered its prey.

And since it had fled into an area that appeared to have more space for maneuverability, it was time to indulge in perhaps one of the few activities that could make his shell of a life have some semblance of pleasure.

…

As soon as he heard the echoing sounds of metallic breathing, for there could be no other way to describe what he was hearing, the Goblin leader's began to scream for his minions to attack this soon to be intruder.

But as the blackness of the cave was banished by the sudden ignition of fire that was blood red, the sense of encroaching doom grew stronger and stronger.

A sensation that grew worse as his steadily fearful eyes took in the appearance of the intruder.

As a member of a race whose height rarely exceeded that of a human child, at least when they weren't evolving into the hard to obtain/more evolved forms of their kind, the goblin leader was hardly surprised to find himself dwarfed by this new enemy, even if he was taller than most humans he had encountered.

He was covered in black colored armor that would have allowed him to blend with the nest's perpetual darkness if it wasn't for the blinking lights that covered the torso. Not that wouldn't have done anything since black armor or not his breathing, as well as a goblin's night vision would have robbed him of this advantage anyway.

But the personal appearance of this intruder, whose presence managed to scare even their latest breeders, was not enough to make the goblin leader and his minions believe that they were outmatched.

No, their growing sense of fear stemmed from the glowing blade that extended from his hand.

Usually, a sword of that length would be all but useless in the tight confines of a goblin nest. But a magical blade, for there was no other way to describe the blood red beam of light, was something that gave even the most inexperienced of humans an advantage that few goblins could hope to match.

And from the way his goons were butchered, it was clear that this human, if he could even be called that, was no inexperienced adventurer.

…..

Feeling an urge of satisfaction as he decapitated one of the few remaining creatures with a casual one handed swing of his lightsaber, an act that managed to inspire feelings of both relief and terror in those who had been on the verge of suffering one of the few fates that was worse than death, the former Chosen One turned his attention towards the remaining beasts whose perverse savagery matched those of the ones who had killed his mother.

And like the Tusken Raiders, these child sized mutants met their end on the tip of his light saber.

All but one of them.

Accurately suspecting that this last remaining animal was the leader of the soon to be extinct tribe, the prodigal Force user lifted his hand to keep the struggling creature in place as he turned his attention towards the fearful trio.

"Are you alright"?

Unsurprised to see them flinch at the sound of his voice, and filled with the previous discarded emotion of caring for those who were truly innocent, the former enforcer did his best to adopt a more soothing tone as he sought to reassure the clearly traumatized women that he was not a threat to them.

"I mean you no harm. I…am here to help".

Though his words cause the more youthful members of the trio to shrink in fear, the oldest among them managed to respond to his statement in a way that was both achingly familiar, and yet entirely opposite to the words he had spoken all those years ago.

"Ar…Are you a demon"?

Shocked though he was to have a replay, twisted though it might have been, of his first meeting with his wife, and pushing down his ever present feelings of self disgust since his past actions could be described as evil, the black armored warrior shook his head.

"No. No I am not. That distinction I believe belongs to this pitiful creature".

Turning his helmet so his struggling captive could look directly into the lens of his mask, the Force user felt his ever present anger growing as the young woman provided the information that he was lacking.

"Their not demons, their goblins. Most people view their kind as only a nuisance, a pest that can be taken out by even the most inexperienced of adventurers. But to those who live in small villages, where army patrols are few to non existent, they are the scourge of the earth. They steal and butcher anything that takes their fancy. And the girls…they…they….they use them to increase their num..".

CRACK

Though it was far less satisfying a death than his preferred method of execution, the former symbol of imperial might was far from sorry as telekinetic hold on the goblin's body went from keeping him in place to breaking every bone in his body.

Taking a moment to reign control over his more volatile emotions, for it would be unpleasant if he lashed out at the already terrified trio, the former Jedi fell back into the mindset of a military commander as he proceeded to bark instructions at the more composed member of the 3 women.

"Find something to cover yourselves. We are leaving this hovel".

Watching dispassionately as they hastened to obey his command, and using his senses to ensure that there were no more of these…goblins to deal with, the man whose life was divided between serving the light and dark side of the Force came to a decision that had been weighing on his mind since he had 'awoken'.

Though the actions he had taken this day had been in service of a goal that the Jedi would approve of, saving innocent lives from a gruesome fate, the manner in which he accomplished this served to remind him that despite his son's insistence, the Dark Side of the Force was still with him.

For he had revelled in the fear of the goblins as he struck them down. And his anger and rage had been fully stoked at the knowledge that this world treated these loathsome creatures with the same sort of dismissive behavior that the urban dwellers of Tatooine possessed towards the bands of monsters that had taken the life of his mother.

"Ex…excuse me sir. But what do we call you"?

Turning his head so that his red tinted vision could catch the nervous expression of the more vocal members of his rescued captives, it was only with the briefest amounts of hesitation that he answered the question that he himself had been debating over.

"Vader. You may call me Vader".

…

**Annnnnnnd I think that's enough for now XD.**

**Once again pleasantly surprised by my writing speed when the creative mood takes me XD.**

**Believed that I managed to portray Vader rather well. From the limitations/experience with his suit, to his personality. Just because Vader decided to sacrifice himself for his son, though only after Luke had been subjected to around a minute of force lightning, doesn't mean that his personality has undergone a great shift. Willing to sacrifice himself for his family…yes. Willing to change his conduct on the battlefield….extremely doubtful. **

**This is the angle I'm going for at least.**

**Anyway, to clarify some things that have been asked of me. **

**YES Vader will be in his suit for this story, although I have some ideas to improve his health later on.**

**Now to questions**

**Austin:**

**_When does Vader appear in the world of goblin slayer will he be immune to the god's meddling due to the force technically being his god in a way._**

**The Goblin Slayer timeline will be before GS joins up with High Elf Girl, Lizard Priest, and Dwarf Shaman, but after he joins up with Priestess. Vader of course coming from just after his spirit viewed the Ewok celebration. Unsure of how the gods, or the Force, will meddle though. To be worked out lol.**

**_Will Vader get attacked by the members of the church if they think he is a demon due to said armor, same for the adventurers whether first timers, or the arrogant ones thinking he is demon again due to his dark looking armor?_**

**Won't say too much since it would spoil my vision, but I can say this, the initial reaction will be similar to how Ventress was first treated when she got into Bounty Hunting. **

**_Another question if he does appear when goblin slayer was a kid...will he take said boy as an apprentice?_**

**_Because I would love to see lightsaber wielding goblin slayer who knows the force. Plus I can see goblin slayer seeing Vader as a father figure while learning under said Sith lord._**

**So far, I have no real intent to give Vader an apprentice. That being said, I recognized early on that the potential for a mentor relationship is possible, with Vader noting similarities between himself and GS, and offering advice on how to avoid the mistakes he has made. **

**_Another question will Vader use both the light and the dark sides of the force as he is both anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader?_**

**He's more Vader than Skywalker. BUT, I picture him being influenced by his former persona to the point where he is somewhat less…Vadery. I.e. Vader with a conscience.**

**_Another is are you gonna follow the rule in goblin slayer where all the characters' names in said anime are literally just goblin slayer, guild girl, priestess, spearman, etc, etc. Or will they have names that fits their personality and will it publicly or will it be very private for only those that are family or spouse's ears only as in public it's just their titles that is being called?_**

**Following the series structure as far as names are concerned. HOWEVER, will be using that whole intimate relationship trope where true names are known between people who have a deep relationship/connection, but wont use it unless for emotional moments. **

**Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

**PLZ review to tell me what you think. No flames of course.**

**And til next time. **


	3. Intro at the Guild

Despite her best efforts to retain the professionally cheerful demeanor that she had been instructed to wear during her work hours, Guild Girl couldn't help feeling the familiar feeling of worry as the latest batch of rookie adventurers missed their deadline.

In itself, this wasn't a serious concern since few adventurers, even those who had managed to obtain the incredibly rare rank of gold, ever managed to complete their assigned quest within the standard time allotment the Guild judged to be appropriate for each mission. Though there were several instances when an adventurer returned far sooner than previously predicted, even if most of the time they returned without fulfilling their goals.

But for those who chose to take on a goblin quest, the golden haired girl had managed, with more than a little help from her goblin obsessed love interest, to work out a system that could tell her if the mission had been a success or a failure.

If all of the party returned the same day they accepted the quest, and held that mixed look of triumph and mild exhaustion, then it meant that the goblin menace had been both small in number and had occurred outside of their natural habitat.

If however they returned days, or even a week later than intended, and possessed clear signs that they had been in a struggle, which could range from visible injuries, missing party members, or that horrified stare that was always present, in some form or another, on female adventurers who had chosen to exterminate the 'lowest creatures of darkness', then it was clear that the mission was far more difficult than they had expected. It was usually at this time that adventurer's either made the decision to carry on, albeit with different quests, or pursue another career.

For apart for apart from Goblin Slayer, few adventurers willingly chose to go take on another goblin menace. And even fewer returned.

And then of course there were the quests that no one returned from.

Either they had been killed and used for food, or had endured the fate that every woman fears until there bodies finally gave out from the constant horror of being forced to increase the goblin population.

Of course more than one woman had been rescued from this fate, but even the blindest man could tell that for all intents and purposes they were dead in all the ways that mattered.

But since Goblin Slayer had decided to accept 2 jobs that morning, the likelihood of someone coming to that trio's rescue, for their continued absence left no doubt that they had, like many before them, been forced to spend the remainder of their days as toys before their bodies were turned towards a more...culinary purpose, was slim to none.

Sometimes, in her darkest moments, she wished that that the goblin population would attack a good sized town, for then it would reveal to the rest of the world that those creatures that most dismissed as a minor pest, were in fact an evil that should be wiped from the face of the other. However, such thoughts were always accompanied by a sense of guilt since such an occurrence would undoubtedly inflict more suffering on those who were truly innocent.

Which she suppose is why Goblin Slayer was so obsessed with his one man campaign.

It did not matter if the news only carried the barest rumor of goblin activity. The specialist silver ranked adventurer would pursue any lead that would prevent the goblin menace from growing.

But sadly, he couldn't be everywhere.

Which is why the guild kept losing an unacceptable number of rookie adventurers on what had been labelled 'simple goblin hunts'.

She wished they took her advice to treat their mission with the same seriousness they would show to a more physically imposing enemy, but her warnings largely went ignored by those who believed that their previous training would get them through any peril.

The last person to at least have the common sense to express some doubt over her chosen quest was that young priestess who had more or less been shanghaied by that trio of over confident rookies. She hoped that the young girl would be able to summon the necessary courage to act on her justified concerns, but considering the harsh dismissive attitude of the young wizard, and the blind enthusiasm of the groups only male, she highly doubted it.

But as her more pragmatic, and more than slightly dismissive superior kept reminding her, it wasn't her job to quests requests from those that wanted them.

Of course there was that rule about matching adventurers to quests that fitted their skill level, but since the leaders of the Adventurers Guild labeled goblins as the lowliest monster their was, they were deemed to be an acceptable, even easy challenge for those who had only recently been accepted into the guild.

Thus, it was with a heavy heart that she forced herself to regain the pleasant demeanor that all employees had to wear during their working hours.

However, judging by the way in which the roaring fire seemed to lose its ability to combat the unexpected draft of cold that seemed to descended on what had previously been a pleasant evening, she doubted that it would be easy.

….

Though it had been some years since he was forced to acknowledge that he was in someone's debt, his former master's occasional reminder of his 'rescue' on the lava banks of Mustafar notwithstanding, Vader was nevertheless grateful to the unlooked for generosity of the old farmer.

Yes he had acted as most beings did whenever they were in his presence, something which had no doubt been Sidious's intention when designing his mobile prison, but after using the force to calm the man's nerves, something which he had never bothered with in his position as the Empire's 2nd most powerful being, and the understandably nervous words of support from his rescued captives, the old dairy farmer had offered to use his cart to transport them to the nearest settlement.

He had been fully prepared to make the journey on foot, even if the trek would have painfully reminded him of the substandard design of his prosthetics, but since he was uncertain of his companion's ability to walk long distances, not to mention his unfamiliarity of the area, the armored force user was forced to concede that accepting the farmer's offer was for the best.

Even if his constant mechanical breathing unnerved the old man.

However, the uneventful journey into the large rural settlement gave him the perfect opportunity to extend his senses into the currents of the Force in order to get a better understand of his new found environment.

And for the most part, he was largely unsurprised by what he felt.

The farmsteads that dotted the country side where filled with the same sort of fear and acceptance that had existed in the wastes surrounding Mos Eisley. And while that didn't prevent the rural populace from carrying on with their lives in a safe, and relatively happy manner, Vader could nevertheless detect that their fear, while muted, nevertheless required little to bring it out.

The town itself was entirely different. Albeit in a way that caused him to question whether or not the women had been correct in their overall perception of the society they had sprung from.

Yes the atmosphere was much more lighter than that in the countryside, especially when compared to the areas that bordered the forests that, if not shouted, whispered with the Dark Side of the Force, but he could detect the same concern that he had experienced in the systems where the effects of the Clone Wars, while far enough away to ensure that they did not directly feel the cost of the war, were nevertheless felt by every being whose loved ones lacked the same sort of safety they enjoyed.

Of course while this new found knowledge wasn't enough to stoke the fires of his rage, it was sufficient to make him experience the same sort of disdain he had developed after watching the countless debates of the Republican Senate.

For with the exception of his wife, and perhaps the leaders of the Rebellion, few senators ever possessed the courage to play an active role in fighting what they viewed to be a credible evil. The Jedi of course had been of a similar mindset, even if they risked their lives on a daily basis. They knew what they needed to do in order to bring the war to a swifter conclusion, but their inability to do more than respond to a crisis ensured that countless billions suffered from their decision.

Directing his attention towards his surroundings, since he rightly suspected that his mood would worsen if he dwelled on those he had once called his comrades, even if a portion of them never reciprocated, Vader soon found his gaze drifting towards the silent conversation of the trio, which until this time had been muted as they came to terms with not only their narrowly avoided fates, but also the identity of their rescuer.

"Do you think he's going to hurt us"?

"No. If he wanted to do that he would have done so in the nest".

"Then what do you think he wants"?

"I head some adventurers ask for 'favors' after they've rescued a maiden from a horrible fate".

"Don't be an idiot. You saw what he could do. If he wanted to take advantage of us, he could have done it after he killed the goblins".

"That's true. But that still doesn't mean he doesn't intend to do something to us as soon as were cleaned up. I heard that most men prefer their girls to be cleaned up before they..do it".

"How do we even know he's a man? He could be a demon or some enchanted suit of armor that's leading us to his master".

Fighting the urge to scoff at this worlds version of the theory that he was nothing more than a droid, Vader decided to enter the conversation to clear up the misunderstanding.

'As I've already told your companion, I am not a demon, nor am I a construct that that has been given a degree of sentience. I am a human. One that has no interest in lowering himself to act like a more…refined version of those…creatures".

Of all the crimes he had committed as his tenure as Sidious's errand boy, the act of forcing oneself on an unwilling women was one that he had never condoned. Of course, he had also never accepted the offer, rare though it might have been, to engage in the more physical aspects of intimacy.

His regular medical examinations had informed him that he was still capable of reproducing should he ever wish to, but the injuries he incurred that day, both physical or emotional in nature, ensured that he would find no pleasure in the act.

However, he had no intent on sharing that, or any other detail of his tragic history. So before the women could press for more information, he directed the conversation to a more relevant topic.

"I trust that after today, you 3 will be thinking of choosing a more…worthwhile career. If your performance against those creatures, which you have stated rank amongst the lowest vermin, is anything to go by, I foresee that the lives that you have chosen will end in a manner that most would find to be…unpleasant".

Cruel though it might have been for him to mention what could have happened to them if he hadn't allowed his curiosity, and the prodding of the Force, to direct his actions, Vader nevertheless felt that his words had merit.

Something which to his great surprise also earned a nod of agreement from their previously silent driver.

"He's got a point ladies. I've known my share of folks who drove themselves into an early grave just because they couldn't accept the undeniable proof that they were unsuited for their chosen lifestyle. All 3 of you are still young, so take my advice, choose a profession that gives you a better chance to stay amongst the realm of the living. I know the abbeys are always looking for those who wish to lend a hand to those who need it. Sure it's a less glamorous job, but at least you don't have to worry about a goblin knifing you in the gut".

A kinder answer than he was capable of giving, but it still carried the same message that the armored Force user was trying to convey to the female trio.

They were not cut out for the life of an adventurer.

Of course as a child, he himself had been told that he wasn't capable of becoming a true Jedi, which he supposed carried some truth to it considering the nature of his fall, but the circumstances for these women were far different.

For unlike the Jedi, whose training standards ensured that only the most promising ever got a chance to become a full fledged knight let alone a padawan learner, these girls did not undergo a strict, supervised training regime that would prepare them for their first experience with the darker aspects of the world.

However, it appeared that his observation, tempered though it was by the gentle interference of the old wagon driver, had managed to get through to the trio of traumatized women.

"I…I suppose your right. Once the others find out that we failed a goblin quest, we would have been forced out of the guild anyway".

Though his own track record when dealing with failure had been well known amongst the upper ranks of Imperial society, though the rank and file respected the fact that he never ordered them to risk their lives for something he himself could not accomplish, Vader found himself fighting to keep his voice calm, or as calm as his suit's voice vocoder would let him, as he gave voice to his growing suspicion.

"Why? Surely your…guild would have simply excused your actions as novices who simply overestimated their skills. And from what I recall, the situation in the tunnels was something that even the most hardened solider would find…challenging".

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, though no one but him would have been able to tell that he had done so, as the trio flinched at his observation, the former Jedi felt his anger begin to rise as the braver of the 3 women answered his question.

"Well, officially the guild wouldn't kick us out. Gods know that we wouldn't be the first party of adventurers to fail a mission. But to fail a quest that many adventurers believe can be accomplished by a single Obsidian class? Our reputations would be shot, which means that no experienced adventurer would ever hire us on for the more lucrative quests".

For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the constant rhythm of his accursed respirator. However, that moment quickly passed as the former Jedi allowed a hint of disgust to enter his tone as he was confronted with something that reminded him of his own youthful career.

"So what your telling me is that these goblins, vile disgusting creatures that spend their days capturing women to increase their numbers, are allowed to exist just because the so called 'heroes' of your society deem them to be unworthy of their time"?

Hesitantly nodding her head at the armored Force user, and doing her best to fight the urge to shiver as the warmth of the summer evening steadily dropped with every word her rescuer said, the failed adventurer's sense of foreboding only grew as Vader turned his head so that she could see her reflection in the blackened lenses of his helmet.

"Then it appears that I must have a chat with those who fail to perform such necessary tasks because they are beneath them. I trust you have no issue in leading me to the center of this….agency"?

Receiving a single, albeit nervous nod from the girl's head, Vader found his already strained control over his more volatile emotions slipping as the girl pointed towards what appeared to be a large tavern.

"N…no issue at all. The guild headquarters is just up ahead anyways. Though I feel I should warn you, you're current…appearance might cause some of them to act rashly. Perhaps it would be best to find you a change of clothes so you don't provoke anyone"?

For a brief moment, the girl could have sworn she felt a slight pressure on her throat as the evening suddenly became as frigid as a winter storm. But the sensation passed as Vader, whose posture had stiffened at the mention of his armor, seemed to slightly relax as he uncurled his fist.

"That…is not an option that is available to me. And should your former compatriots have an issue with my…appearance, I am quite prepared to deal with them".

Getting the hint that it would be unwise to ask any further questions, and tightening their cloaks around their bodies in an attempt to help fight off the evening's unusually cold air, the soon to be former adventurers marched towards the entrance of the Adventurer's Guild. Doing their best to control their growing unease as their rescuer's nightmarish breathing reminded them that some heroes could be more terrifying than the very monsters they fought.

…

"OI ROOKIE. TOSS ANOTHER LOG ONTO THE FIRE. ITS COLD AS AN ICE BOX IN HEAR".

Though she agreed in principal to her often brash companion's shouted command, for the temperature was far from the comforting warmth that many had come to expect from the usually boisterous hall, Witch flashed the male spear user a chastising expression.

"That's rather….rude is it..not? If you wanted…to warm up….you could have employed….other means to do so. Our status as…silver ranked adventurers…does not mean that…we can treat those who are….less experienced as us like…servants you know"?

Having expected Spearman to either dismiss her words, or act with a degree of maturity that was more akin to children who had only recently escaped infanthood, the voluptuous spell caster found herself more than a little surprised by how quickly he accepted her way of thinking.

"Yeah I suppose your right. Far be it for me to set a bad example for those who wish to emulate my example. Still, you have to admit that the place does need to be warmed up though".

Pleased at how mature Spearman was acting, Witch puffed on her elongated pipe before commenting on the guild's shift in temperature.

"Your right. It is very…unusual for it to be…chilly this time of year. I wonder if perhaps….something unnatural is the cause….for this disturbance".

Frowning as he considered the possibility, the spear wielding adventurer's expression quickly gained a more irritated look as the door to the guild was thrown wide open.

"OI! SHUT THE DAMN DOOR. YOUR LETTING ALL THE HE…".

"_KHOOOOOH PUUUUUHR"._

…..

Though her position ensured that she was made perfectly aware of the dangerous challenges that faced each and every adventurer, as well as the fear of those who had been forced to pose a potentially lethal quest in the first place, Guild Girl had never before felt the same icy grip of terror that all adventurers felt when first confronting a monster.

Until now that is.

And judging by the nervous expressions that had come over most of the present adventurers, especially the magic users, the young receptionist could easily tell that she was not the only one to feel this way.

For in addition to the terrifying appearance of this black armored arrival, not to mention the inhuman way it seemed to draw its breath, this being radiated menace that could rival that of any monster.

A feeling that only managed to grow as it turned its helmet to speak to whoever was brave enough to walk in it's shadow.

"I see I was wrong in my expectations. Your….compatriots are far less impressive than I expected".

Though flinching at the deep, almost soulless voice of the large armored being, Guild Girl was nevertheless surprised by the slightly exasperated, yet still noticeably fearful tone of one of the girls she had only recently given up for dead.

"Everything is less impressive when compared to you. Though I doubt even you could handle the entire room if you did anything to provoke them".

Seeing the immense figure turn his head to observe the tense atmosphere his presence had created, the blonde receptionist could only pray that his next words would be lacking any sign of challenge.

She was wrong.

"Perhaps. But apart from a select few, none of these so called heroes possess the ability to become more than a irritating nuisance. Though I am surprised at your concern for them considering your impeding departure from this life. Its not as if…".

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU SAY YOU BASTARD"?

Though she knew that the Gods seldom answered the prayers of those who had not devoted the remainder of their lives to their service, Guild Girl nevertheless felt that she had inadvertently drawn the attention of one of the more chaotic entities as she watched one of her more persistent suitors interrupt the armored being.

"You think you can come in here, insult us all, and then threaten to kill an innocent maiden? Who the hell do you think you ar..GRKKKKK".

Eyes widening at the sight of Spearman's choking visage, for she had never seen magic used in such a way, Guild Girl quickly moved to defuse the already tense situation before it could lead to further violence.

"Ex…excuse me sir. But may I kindly ask you to release him? I know he has a bit of a mouth on him, but he's generally…harmless".

That last word came out as a squeak as the helmeted figure turned his concealed eyes towards her. And for a brief moment, the blond woman felt as if her soul was being examined. Thus it was with a noticeable amount of relief that the black armored giant acquiesced to her request.

"As you wish".

…

Releasing the foolish boy from his grip, and sensing that his necessary demonstration had served its purpose in cementing the perception that he was not to be trifled with, the former Jedi gestured with his head to the trio of women who cowered in his shadow.

Who thankfully possessed enough wits to understand what he was suggesting that they do.

"Par..pardon me miss, but if its possible, the three of us wish to fill out the form to cancel our membership with the Guild".

Pleased to see that his suggestion had been accepted by the depressed looking trio, Vader was somewhat surprised by the reaction the golden haired girl had to this announcement.

"I…I understand. If you would please give me a moment to collect the necessary forms, I will be back shortly. As…as for you sir, may I ask that you refrain from attacking any other member of the guild? While I know that it would be foolish to ask you to not to your defend yourself, I ask that you doing nothing to provoke such an occurrence from happening".

Amused at the fact that this girl, who couldn't be older than 20, was daring to do something that had resulted in the countless deaths of imperial officers, Vader crossed his arms before slightly inclining his head.

"Very well".

Pleased to see the girl rush to perform her assigned task, and ignoring the suspicious murmurings that had broken out amongst the rest of the building's patrons, the former Jedi was caught off guard when one of the more powerful individuals he had sensed approached him in a manner that was akin to how someone would approach a dangerous animal.

"Please forgive my...comrade for his harsh words. His concern stemmed from the….fact that he has seen….few people of your nature. Especially since….you appear to be in the…company of other guild members. May I ask….how you became…involved with them"?

Sensing only honest curiosity from the purple haired woman, though he noticed that her companion was currently sporting a stance that only a fool would fail to recognize as hostile, Vader answered her question in a manner that unsurprisingly met with both discomfort and dismissive expressions.

"I found them in the lair of the vile creatures you call goblins. Luckily I had arrived before the vermin could do more than rob them of their clothing. Which makes me wonder why an organization such as this would detail such a dangerous mission to those who were clearly unprepared for it"?

His question drawing a sigh from the voluptuous women, who was one of the few people he could sense who were either sorrowful or ashamed, Vader found himself surprised at the answer he received, though that did nothing to lessen his anger.

For it was a variation of the answer he would have received if he had asked that question during his tenure as Kenobi's padawan learner.

"Because there are not enough high ranking adventurers to deal with the missions that pose a greater threat to our lands than the goblin menace. It's a sad state of affairs, but since the danger, not to mention the coin, that is offered is significantly less than a necromancer, or even a demon horde, few adventurers wish to waste their time on something that's usually only a minor threat. And since I suspect that you're the one whose doing this, do you mind turning the heat back on? Its freezing in here".

Turning his head to regard the blonde female warrior, whose hand strayed close to her sword after she realized that she had just potentially angered a being who could choke someone with his mind, Vader reigned in his leaking emotions. Causing a sigh of relief to be felt by the adventurers before his less than pleased tone conveyed that he found the answer to be less than satisfying.

"I see. So because its neither challenging or rewarding enough, you choose to simply pass on the responsibility to those whose skill set makes it impossible for them to compete with you? A true standard of heroism if ever there was one".

If he had been anyone else, the former Jedi would have been afraid by the murderous looks that had come over the majority of the collected adventurers. But since he was well versed in dealing with those who hated to have their flaws pointed out, one of the numerous upsides to having a wife who wasn't afraid to criticize the self servicing policies of her coworkers, Vader felt only mild amusement at their attempt to intimidate him.

However, perhaps their ineffectiveness could be harnessed towards his advantage since it was obvious that the Force had some sort of plan for him. For why else would his first interactions with the inhabitants involve heroics that reminded him of his actions following his mother's death.

And even though his son managed to stoke the embers of light in his tattered soul, that did not mean that he was willing to give up the power of the Dark Side.

Yes Sidious was responsible for twisting him into the broken creature he was today, but that did not mean that his lessons were completely useless. For though he had achieved his long sought after victory against the aged Sith master, his chains were still in place.

But since they seemed to loosen ever so slightly while acting like his more naïve self, perhaps he would continue until they were broken.

And then finally, he would be free.

…

**Annnnnd that's enough.**

**Lenghty chapter but I am (mostly) satisfied with it. Especially since I need to spend a while coming up with new ideas for a chapter that won't be posted for a while (other stories and busy schedules)**

**Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Pleased to see that many ppl like the concept, and will get back to it as soon as I can.**

**ALSO...If anyone wishes to offer themselves as a beta reader/editor for this story...dont be shy**


	4. The Offer

Though her current emotional state was something that was far from her usually calm composure, Guild Girl nevertheless felt a small bit of relief as she managed to find the hardly ever used stack of documents that would officially recognize the termination of an adventurers association with the Guild.

Usually, an adventurer ended their career in 3 ways. Death, incurring a crippling injury that made them unable to partake in further adventures, or traumatized to the point where they either flee back to the comfort of their home towns, or become one of the countless unresponsive patients for the temples.

But even though they were no longer active members of the Guild, they were, officially at least, to still be considered adventurers. If they wished to formally resign their positions, they would have to turn over their adventurer tags, and sign all the paper work to formally record that they were no longer affiliated with the Guild.

The blond haired woman remembered at one time petitioning her supervisor whether or not it would be possible to fill out the forms herself, for she recognized that the former adventurers might prefer to avoid anything that reminded them of whatever influenced their decision to leave, but sadly she had been forbidden from doing so due to a reason that was rarely fulfilled.

Much like the military's invalid corps, no longer active adventurers could be used as a last resort to provide much needed reinforcement to an army that needed every body it could get, no matter how battered or broken they may be. It was only on rare occasions when someone wished to rejoin the life of an adventurer after they had left it, but since it wasn't unheard of, they remained members of the Guild til their dying days.

Which is why it was so rare for her to need the standard resignation form rather than the one that dealt with the usual aftermath of a failed quest.

But it was also a less guilt ridden job.

Time and time again, she had been forced to live with the consequences of her failure to convince the more inexperienced adventurers to take on quests that were more appropriate for their skill level. But sadly, arrogance and glory seeking were a traits that were shared, in various degrees, by almost every adventurer that walked through those doors. Only Goblin Slayer, and perhaps that young priestess that she had registered earlier that afternoon, lacked the desire for acknowledgement that their fellow adventurers, even the gorgeous purple haired spell caster, possessed.

But thanks to the efforts of a man, for she was almost 100% certain that the towering armored figure was male, whose attitude was even more abrasive than a certain shoddily dressed adventurer, 3 novice adventurers had lived through what had probably been a traumatic experience, and had managed to find the necessary wisdom to abandon a life that they were clearly unsuited for.

However, that did not mean that she was over the feeling of unease that had come over her as soon as the armored being had entered the Guild. And his ability to use magic without either an incantation or a prayer did little to combat this feeling. Even if she secretly believed that the spear wielding adventurer deserved his public upbraiding. If only to make him realize that there were certain situations where it was better to think before speaking.

But the humiliation of her most vocal suitor aside, Guild Girl was still left with the unfortunate dilemma of what to do with the clearly dangerous man. For she got the distinct impression that any attempt to remove the menacing magic caster by force would result in lethal failure.

She supposed she could simply ask him what he wanted. But unlike most people she dealt with, like Goblin Slayer whose demands where rather simple to cater too even though she wished he would show more interest in other pursuits besides goblin slaying, or other adventurers who were motivated by more egotistical or financial reasons, she had no idea what could appeal to someone who effortlessly defeated one of the more skilled members of the Guild.

Perhaps if she was lucky, he would tell her what he wanted without prompting.

But considering his attitude, which was far more abrupt than anything Goblin Slayer had ever said, she doubted it.

…

Though he had agreed to the blond woman's request to do nothing that would deliberately provoke the individuals who were even less worthy of his attention that the lowest Rebel, that did not mean he lacked the ability to annoy the more disagreeable members of the less than pleased mob.

"FOR PITYS SAKE CAN YOU PLEASE STOP THAT"?

Slightly turning his head to take in the appearance of the clearly annoyed spear user, as well as the panicked looks that were being flashed their way by the more pitiful members of what could only be described as a bounty hunters guild, Vader turned his attention back towards the door the receptionist had left as he gave his two worded answer.

"I cannot".

Smirking as he felt the spear user's unmistakable irritation at his comment, the former Jedi found his mood darkening as the voluptuous women once again proved that the female half of the human population was more intelligent than the male half.

"Cannot…or will not"?

Slowly turning his head to regard the woman whose attire would not have been out of place among the more…vulgar parties held by his former master's lackeys, Vader once again answered in his usual curt fashion. Though he was somewhat surprised by his decision to indulge her curiosity.

"Cannot".

Allowing his hand to fall near his concealed weapon as his answer resulted in the room to break out in quite murmurings, the result of possessing a vocoder that lacked any real ability to lower the volume of his synthesized voice, the armored force user felt his already limited patience disappearing as the woman's companion decided to once flirt with danger.

"Tssk. Then just take off the helmet so we don't have to put up with your annoying breathing. I mean, sure it helps to add to that dark brooding persona you currently have going for you. But its not like taking it off will… kill you".

It was a testament to Vader's newly discovered self-control that he didn't choose a more lethal method in dealing with the more brash individuals who jokingly called themselves adventurers. Instead, the armored Force user loosened his control over his emotions so that the spear user, along with the rest of the watching guild members, would realise that discussing his…condition, was not up for discussion.

"You are mistaken boy. And If my presence here is so irritating to you, then perhaps it is time for you to leave. I've already given my word that I would not attack anyone here unless provoked. But since you seem to lack the same survival instincts that most sentient creatures possess, I can tell it will only be a matter of time before I am forced to take action".

It was at this moment that Spearman realized that he was left with only 2 options. On one hand, he could flee with his tail tucked between his legs and lose the respect he had managed to acquire during his tenure with the guild. Or he could choose to fight the man who possessed the magically ability to choke him with a mere clenching of his fist.

It was not a hard decision.

"Listen you, I don't care who you think you are, but you can't just..".

"Sorry for the delay. One of my coworkers had accidently misplaced the necessary documents needed for deregistration, so it took a little longer to find it. I hope…may I ask what is going on here"?

Turning his head to take in the mildly disproving glare of the woman whose professional demeanor posed the most delightful challenge for him to overcome, Spearman was prevented from answering Guild Girl's question thanks to the timely intervention of his purple haired companion.

"Just a minor…disagreement between men. We'll be leaving now…before he can get into more trouble. Come along…dear".

Nodding his head in slight approval at the rather comical sight of a grown man being forcibly removed by a cheerfully smiling woman, Vader redirected his attention back to the pony tailed receptionist.

…..

Having spent the last five years learning how to read a person's mood without requiring the need to see a face, Guild Girl could tell that the black armored man was in the midst of coming down from what would have probably been a violent altercation had it not been for her timely arrival.

In retrospect, she should have asked one of her co-workers to fetch the resignation forms, for she sincerely doubted that Spearman would have acted the way he did if she had been present. But then again it was possible that her presence would have merely resulted in yet another brutal display of magic.

For unlike her favorite adventurer, who cared little for the opinions of his peers, Spearman was proud of his reputation as one of the Guild's most experienced adventurers, something which he never failed to tell her during the numerous failed attempts to get her to see him in a nonprofessional light. Which meant that if she had been present, the likelihood of him doing something to 'rebuild his image' was more than likely.

However, thanks to the timely intervention of a woman whose charms, which were superior to her own, managed to captivate every male she came across except the one she wanted, and of course Goblin Slayer, the blond haired receptionist was allowed to perform her required task without having to worry about the inconvenience of one, and possible more dead bodies.

"As I was saying, I have the necessary forms for the 3 of you to resign from your position as members of the Adventurers Guild. I will need you to go over the document, and once you understand the conditions of your resignation and still wish to proceed, I will need you to sign on all the designated lines. Any questions before you begin"?

Receiving slightly nervous, but nevertheless firm shakes of their head from the trio of young women, Guild Girl handed their stack of forms before the cold tone of their rescuer interrupted his monstrous breathing.

"Out of curiosity, what benefits does this….association provide for its members paying what I assume to be a percentage of their earnings? Obviously its not proper instruction in the combat arts, or they would have had little need for my…assistance".

Fighting the urge to cringe at the accurate, if bluntly delivered accusation that had been leveled at the Guild, for it was true that they did little to improve the combat ability of their members while receiving a percentage of their hard won earnings, the blond haired woman maintained her professional demeanor as her eyes met the hidden gaze of the towering magic user.

"There are several benefits for our members. Discount food, access to medical care that is on par with the Capital's best, easy access to goods and services that are hard to find elsewhere. And perhaps the most important aspect, only members of the Guild are allowed to access information concerning quests and missions. Of course our policy is too only hand out quests that are deemed appropriate for the adventurer's rank, but since the Guild's central office has yet to properly update the appropriate skill level needed for specific quests…well, I'm sure I don't need to explain further".

Flashing an embarrassed smile at the unmoving armored being, Guild Girl suddenly found it more difficult to retain her professional demeanor as she heard the slightly menacing response to her explanation.

"I see. I assume with that logic, that the Guild's…recruitment process is less than….selective".

…..

Amused by the fearful reactions his question had managed to inspire, though he noted with slight amusement that some of the eavesdropping members of the guild were experiencing anger rather than fear, Vader was slightly surprised by not only how quickly the young woman recovered her senses, but also the manner in which she managed to provoke his own interest.

"Ye…Yes that's correct. Due to the continuing struggle between the force of good and the forces of evil, which as you may guess has resulted in unfortunately high mortality rates, the Guild is constantly on the look out for new members to fill its often depleted ranks with people who wish to make a fresh start in their lives. And hopefully you don't mind me saying so, but I think you possess the potential to go far in our organization".

Crossing his arms as he considered the girl's amusing proposal, for it had been some time since he had come across an individual, apart from his foolhardy son, who thought that his capabilities could be utilized for a more morally naïve purpose, Vader was about to convey his negative answer when he felt the all too familiar prodding from the Force.

The wordless suggestion to take up the girl's offer wasn't as strong as the one that finally motivated him to stand against his Sith master, but it did possess something that both the Jedi and Sith acknowledged as impossible.

Agreement between the lighter and darker aspects of the Force.

The former Jedi could understand why the Light would wish for him to accept the proposal to become an adventurer, for his first interactions with this world had revealed the very real need to defend those who were clearly incapable of doing so, but he could not understand the reason for why the Dark Side of the Force would wish for him to remove those beings that followed its most primal tenants.

Still, he could not deny that the offer was tempting, for it provided him not only an opportunity to vent his more…aggressive emotions without having to deal with the annoying oversight that had persisted during the course of his tenure with the Jedi Order, but also ensured that his actions would immediately benefit both himself and those he strived to help.

Thus, with that in mind, he made his decision.

**….**

**Think I'll end it here for now XD.**

**Apologises for the shortness, and long wait, but end of semester assignments etc. thankfully that's over now so I can get back to my writing XD.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed this.**

**Accepting betareaders to help me ensure that Vader's tenure in the GS universe is well written, and still the loveable mass murdering warrior we all know and love/fear XD.**

**Plan to have GS make an appearance next chapter, not sure how yet, but it will happen. **

**The issue of Vader's armor and injuries has been previously considered, nice to see im not the only one who thinks this XD. But rest assured, they will be addressed one way or another.**

**Anyways, as always, plz review. No flames. Love seeing how many people have read/liked this story. **

**Til next time.**


	5. First Quest

Despite being one of the more physically capable members of the nest, though his strength was far less than the hulking brute that served as their leader's right hand, it had been some time since the currently scowling Goblin got to enjoy the simple privileges that had once been his by right.

Being one of the first members of the tribe to sample their breeders after their leader had chosen which captive to break in.

Getting too chose which parts of their former toys he would want to eat first. Personally his favorite was always the fatty plumpness

And spending the day napping instead of standing guard against intruders.

But sadly, due to fact that he had accidently killed his leader's favorite fuck toy after it had only spawned 2 runts, he was now forced to abstain from such activities until he managed to 'redeem himself'. Which roughly translated to either bringing in enough food to last the nest leader and his flunky a week, or finding a human settlement that was teeming with youthful breeders.

Unfortunately however, his efforts in wiping his debt clear were less than successful due to his inability to get another nest mate to take over his sentry duties during the day, and the fact that he was too tired by the beginning of the evening to spend any real effort in finding a high quality breeder, preferably one with tits that were bigger than his head.

Thus, with no way identifiable way out of his predicament, he was forced to spent sun up to sun down guarding the entrance to the nest with one of the less experienced runts, which ensured that he would never get picked to go on nightly raids, or get to play with their captives before their minds shattered from the process of being violated over and over again.

Still, he supposed he did have one aspect of his job that would allow him to regain his position, even if the process of doing so was lengthy, and reminded him once again of his less than joyful position.

For while the deliverer of bad news were always mistreated by those who possed the power to get away with it, those who brought nothing but good news were eventually recognized as being a good luck charm, and thus was rewarded appropriately.

However, it appeared that today's message would carry new that, while not bad, was nevertheless somewhat disappointing when compared to the anticipation of sampling the meaty flesh of fertile human women.

Still, he supposed it could be worse.

For unlike most humans who stupidly tried to fight Goblins on their home turf, this one was alone, was doing nothing to conceal its presence as it made its way to the entrance to the nest, and actually hade some equipment that appeared to be of high quality.

The nest leader would probably take the cape to replace to replace the aged pelt that he had stolen 6 months ago from a particularly stringy farmer, but the rest of the equipment could probably be claimed without much protest.

The helmet and shoulder plate was obviously too large for anyone that was not a hobgoblin, but the gauntlets and boots were more than enough to satisfy his interest.

Such a shame that this lumbering human, who's strange breathing could be heard despite being at least an hour away, wouldn't put up much of a challenge. For since there was no weapon in site, that meant that it was a magic user, which in turn meant that it only a select number of spells before it ran out.

And as soon as that happened, the real fun could begin.

….

Though his every step reminded him of the shoddy design of his suit, something which even his prodigal engineering skills could only mitigate the suffering he was forced to endure, Vader nevertheless continued to proceed towards his destination with the same sort of purpose that had cemented the perception amongst the rank and file of the Empire that he was an unstoppable force.

In truth, the parameters for his chosen quest were nearly mind numbingly simple, though he had noticed with slight amusement that the members of his new organization, even those whose attitude was slightly less dismissive than that of that spear wielding fool, had all expressed shock that he would performing his first so called quest without the aid of allies.

But considering the attitude, not to mention skill set, of those few adventurers who expressed a willingness to join him, the armored Force user was grateful for the solitude. Even if it did force him to consider his current circumstances, and the solutions that stemmed from landing on a world that lacked sophisticated technology but made up for it with a prevalence of the more…mystical aspects of the Force.

It still perplexed him that despite his actions against her companion, the hat wearing woman had still extended an offer of help towards freeing him of his 'cursed' prison. At the time, he had acted like he usually did whenever a competent individual correctly guessed the nature of his suit, silently stare at them while using the Dark Side of the Force to make them know that they were in immediate danger should they choose to continue that particular line of conversation.

The woman had wisely backed off at that point, but not before her companion muttered that if he needed help, the healers of the local Abbey could probably help him with whatever he needed.

He had to admit, the idea was intriguing, even if he doubted that they could do anything to help improve his 'condition'.

Even with access to the best technology that the Empire could provide, as well as the archives of the Jedi Temple, the most he had been able to accomplish was either fine tuning his limbs so that their response time was more efficient, or temporarily sustain himself with the Force should his suit's system's ever be compromised.

Numerous times during his tenure as a Sith Apprentice, he had questioned why his master would use such obviously obsolete techniques to rebuild his savaged body, but after the one time he had voiced this opinion, the answer had been made clear.

He had never said it outright, preferring to mask his words with false sympathy, which always carried the barest hint of disappointment, but the fact remained the Sidious had taken steps to ensure that his apprentice would never have the necessary power to partake in the traditional Sith practise of destroying one's master.

Of course the old man had given him permission to adjust the suit to enhance its capabilities, but even his prodigal engineering skills could only go so far with such a horrid design.

Still he supposed it had its uses, even if he sorely missed the ability to eat normal foods, and breathe air that hadn't been contaminated by the trapped stench of his ruined body.

With mechanical limbs, he possessed the same sort of strength, though not the agility, of another mechanically resurrected servant of his scheming master. Though he had been able to do so when his limbs were still composed of flesh and blood, albeit only when he used the Force to enhance his abilities.

And perhaps most importantly, the size and overall appearance of his suit granted him the rather useful ability of intimidating an individual without the need for words.

The majority of those so called adventurers had been a perfect example of this, but like during his tenure as the Emperor's right hand, there had been a small number of individuals who managed to quickly recover from the shock of seeing him for the first time, and act in a manner that ranged from amusing to tedious.

The spear wielding youth was a perfect example of the latter, putting him in mind of a more intelligent and less conniving version of the officer who arrogantly boasted of the power of the First Death Star. Though the young adventurer's ability to recover his nerve after being placed in a force choke was far more rapid than Motti's had ever been.

But aside from the brash youth's companion, whose attire was more suited for one of the numerous decadent galas his master had thrown to provide his subjects with an excuse to glorify him, and the young receptionist, only 2 individuals managed to muster the necessary courage, or idiocy, to stare at him with less than fearful expressions.

He was curious whether his actions would change the attitude of the large muscular warrior and the prideful looking female, but such thoughts could wait for another time as his senses informed him that not only was he close to his final destination, but that his quarry was aware of his approach.

Something that suited him just fine.

For like the monsters that stole his mother from him, these creatures arrogantly believed that they could defeat any opponent who dared to challenge them on their home territory.

And like the animals who had subjected Shmi Skywalker to a fate that she in no way deserved, her son would enjoy himself as he slaughtered those who quickly found that their confidence was gravely misplaced.

….

Though he had often been scolded for lacking an awareness of other people's emotional state, the armored adventurer was fully aware of the turmoil his temporary companion was experiencing as the sound of the wagon faded into the distance.

Such a sound was common for those who endured either the hardships of the frontier, even more for those who chose to live the life of an adventurer, but for a girl who had spent her life growing up within the confines of a carefully structured abbey, the sound only served to reveal the more darker aspects of the world she wished to help.

He could sympathise to a degree, since he too once held the belief that those who were good would always triumph over evil. But the nature of his village's destruction, as well as the horrors his sister endured while he fearfully watched from underneath the floor, had ensured that he could offer little more than short statements as the young priestess struggled to come to terms with the outcome of her first quest.

"Is…there nothing else we can do for them? I mean…to go through something so horrible…there must be something".

Slightly turning his helmet around to take in the sorrowful expression of the blond girl, Goblin Slayer returned his attention back to the road in front of him as he gave his reply.

"No. For those who experience the cruelty of Goblins first hand, the best thing to do is to put them in the hands of those who will help them recover".

Of course he knew that there were only 4 ways in which a person could recover from experiencing such evil, but since he doubted that the girl would draw comfort from such words, the armored adventurer kept that piece of information to himself as Priestess decided to change the direction of their somewhat one sided conversation.

"Will…will I be…punished for failing…for failing to complete the quest"?

Frowning beneath his helmet, for to him it sounded like the girl was more selfish than he originally thought, Goblin Slayer found himself surprised as the girl sought to expand upon her question.

"It's just, I know that I was only with them for a day, and that they brushed aside my concerns with either good nature or slight scorn, but they were still good people. I don't want their memory to be tarnished just because they died…or…or received worse".

Choosing to conceal the fact that her companion's would be mocked for their inability to accomplish what was deemed to be a simple task, or that the memory of her companions would soon fade as the members of the guild had a unofficial policy of living in the moment instead of dwelling on those that were lost, Goblin Slayer gave what comfort that he could.

"The quest wasn't a failure. The job was to destroy a goblin nest. And thanks to your help, it was destroyed".

Sensing that his words managed to surprise the only true survivor of the unfortunate party, the silver ranked specialist found himself slightly shocked as he was asked a question that he had long since dismissed of ever being asked.

"Would…would it be possible to join you on your quests in the future. I know that I have a lot to learn, but I feel that…".

"Ok".

Suspecting that he managed to catch the young girl off guard with the speed of his reply, and not bothering to explain how he would benefit from having a companion whose healing and light miracle could enhance his ability to wipe out Goblin nests, Goblin Slayer resigned himself to spending the rest of their journey explaining what the priestess would have to do to get ready for their next quest.

It was to her advantage that he would spend the next 2 days recuperating, since it would allow her the chance to acquire all the necessary equipment she would need if she wished to survive the type of ordeal that had claimed the lives of her friends, but it mattered little to him.

For at the end of those two days, he would be fully prepared to continue his mission, and if she wasn't ready by that time, then he would simply leave without her.

…

Though the nest leader had yet to inform him that his current status would be elevated to something approaching what it had once been, the Goblin sentry nevertheless suspected that such an outcome would be a forgone conclusion once they dealt with the approaching intruder.

It had taken some prodding on his part to convince his nest mates, let alone their leader, that their latest bit of fun would have some interesting things for them to scavenge, but once the other sentries had backed up his claim about the appearance of the armor wearing magic user, the obese goblin had grown curious enough to sneak a peek at their enemy, and that had been enough to convince the disgraced goblin that his days of pulling all day shifts were about to end.

As expected, their leader had immediately laid claim to the human's imposing cape, but had also expressed an interest in acquiring the shiny black helmet to replace his bone crown.

The Goblin wasn't exactly sure how his leader would be able to properly wear it without heavy padding, but such a thing was not important right now.

What mattered at this very moment was that he and 8 other experienced warriors lay in wait to ambush the noisily breathing intruder once they entered the cave. And should the soon to be dead meat manage to break free of it's tormentors and flee deeper into the cave, it would find itself swamped by the 15 remaining members of their nest.

And since the nest leader had seen fit to keep his muscled protector by his side while they waited in the depths of their lair, that increased his chances of being the one to snag the glory of being the intruder's killer.

Of course he would let the others go forward in order to help weaken it, but that didn't really matter.

For a kill, was a kill.

…

Though his connection to the Force ensured that it was all but impossible to catch him off guard with an ambush, the former Jedi had to concede that his soon to be assailants had chosen their positions well, even if some of their selections were rather childish.

Hiding in covered secret passages, crouching behind the few good sized rocks that lay near the entrance, and even one in a fissure that only a child could fit through, it was clear that these Goblin's were, if not master tacticians, nevertheless possessed a greater degree of cunning than what was commonly believed.

However, with his connection to Force, and the ability of his helmet to see in any, if not all spectrums, such efforts were grossly inadequate when it came to taking him by a surprise.

But that did not mean that he would react any differently as he purposefully strode into the cave entrance.

Some of his most impressive victories, whether it had been in the service of Republic or its Imperial successor, had been against opponents who had been lured into believing that their plans to out manoeuvre him had remained undiscovered. He had always enjoyed their feelings of horrified realization, and considering that these…creatures, were far more barbaric than the typical criminal scum he had been allowed to deal with, he would enjoy this very much.

The trick of course was to wait for the enemy to make the first move. Then, and only then, would he reveal that no matter how cleverly they planned their ambush, or how many combatants they had summoned, it was all pointless for a being like him.

"GWARRRHHHHH….ah"?

Though mildly surprised that the first of his opponents had chosen to perform a frontal assault rather than an attack from behind, Vader nevertheless was well prepared to deal with his first enemy, which coincidentally would ease his ability to quickly deal with the following assault.

Keeping the formerly confused goblin firmly in his telekinetic grip, all the while resisting the urge to crush his windpipe since he knew that his following attack would lead to a greater amount of satisfaction, the former Sith Lord waited until 3 more of the struggling goblin's comrades revealed themselves in yet another headlong attack before using the disgusting creature as a living projectile.

Such an attack was designed merely to throw his enemies off balance, and in that it succeeded beautifully.

For while the knocked over creatures, of which one of them had somehow been stabbed in the eye by one of their rather flimsy looking blades, struggled to recover themselves from their failed attack, Vader was already dealing with the expected assault from behind.

Using his control of the Force to once again place the child sized creature in his telekinetic grip, the armored Force user, not bothering to turn around at the sight of his confused opponent, flicked his hand forward, and enjoyed the sight of a screaming goblin pass over his head first into a wall.

Judging by the loud snap, and the awkard angle in which the goblin's head rested on its neck, Vader accurately surmised that he had not only just reduced his opponents number by one, but had also instilled a great degree of terror in those that remained.

Sensing that 2 more opponents were about to give up their hiding space in an attempt to take him from both sides, and seeing that his previous assailant was the type to prefer wielding a weapon in each hand, the fallen Chosen One halted his would be blindsighters by using the force to send their fallen comrade's daggers flying into their forheads.

Pleased at having dealt with nearly half of his first set of opponents, though slightly disappointed that the challenge they posed was somewhat less than an equal number of Clone Wars battle droids, Vader focused his attention towards the now recovered group of goblins, and was immensely pleased by what he saw.

While their anger was easily placed, especially the one who somehow managed to remain standing despite the fact that its eye was still leaking optical fluid, the goblins were now showing a degree of caution that had been largely lacking during the first part of this skirmish. And through the Force, it was clear to see why.

They thought him to be some sort of magic user who possessed only a limited ability to perform spells before becoming defenceless. Thus, they were judging whether or not he had reached his limit before resuming their attack.

Though somewhat intrigued by the limitations of what they called magic, Vader nevertheless felt the odd need to prove to them that just because he wielded a power that their foolish minds could ever hope to comprehend, it did not mean that it was the sole weapon in his arsenal.

Using the Force to send his deactivated blade from his belt to his hand, the former Jedi allowed a small smirk to spread across his hidden features as the Goblins correctly guessed what he was about to do.

And just as the red beam of his lightsaber bathed the tunnel mouth with its red glow, his 4 opponents were already rushing to meet their inevitable end.

2 were decapitated with a single strike of his blade.

Another found itself suffering a more lethal version of the fate that Sidious's first apprentice had suffered at the hands of Kenobi.

And the last one…the last one found its end with a single gloved hand gripping its throat before its remaining eye was filled with burning red plasma.

But despite his victory, Vader knew that he was not yet finished.

For while the sole remaining goblin posed little threat even if he was to leave it behind him as he went to deal with the remaining members of its loathsome hive, he possessed two reasons to finish off the cowering creature.

First one being that he loathed the thought of leaving a survivor of such a troublesome pest. For the Empire's experience with the Rebellion had revealed the danger in leaving even a single survivor. And while this creature lacked the resources or intelligence to emulate the Rebels' ability to recover, it never hurt to be thorough.

The second reason was that the Force wished for him to exterminate this nest in its entirety. When he attempted to ponder the reason why it would wish for this to happen, Vader was able to glimpse a brief image of the future should he choose to show this creature his usual manner of indifference.

The sole survivor would absorb the lessons it had learned from watching the destruction of its nest, and would utilize this newfound knowledge to establish a base of power that would easily dwarf that of this single nest. And since this land seemed largely incapable of dealing with the scattered, if numerous bands that it did now, allowing a potential unifier went against what he was trying to accomplish.

Decision made, the former Jedi returned his now deactivated weapon to his belt, and used the force to push a non descript boulder out of the way, revealing his 8th victim.

Wasting little time, Vader clenched his mechanical hand into a fist, and watched through his red tinted vision as the loathsome creature tried to free itself from his telekinetic grip.

However, unlike the countless beings that had met their end through the use of a Force Choke, this creature possessed enough brains to realize that its best efforts for escape lay not in trying to free its neck from invisible fingers, but in breaking the concentration of the man who could kill things without touching them.

Grasping the filth covered knife with a weakening grip, the choking goblin summoned its last reserves of strength and through its weapon at the being who for the last 24 years had been nothing less than an instrument of death for countless worlds.

But while the blade sunk into the leather covered appendage of its target, causing a triumphant grin to appear on the face of the now blue faced goblin, the result was still a failure.

For rather than sinking into the remaining bulbs of burnt flesh that were all that remained of Vader's previously organic arm, the goblin's poisoned covered dagger pierced the leather of his glove before hitting the hardened metal that comprised his hand.

Luckily, such a blow was too weak to even nick, let alone pierce the material that served as a replacement for the hand he had lost on Geonosis, but that didn't matter to Vader.

What mattered was that this loathsome creature had attempted to escape its well deserved fate, which in turn ensured that it would meet its end much sooner.

Forgoing the usual practise of slowly tightening his grip until victim died of either asphyxiation or a broken neck, Vader clenched his fist together and was rewarded with the satisfying crack that signified that his enemy was now dead.

But while he had one this brief skirmish, Vader did not dwell long on his victory.

For he could easily sense that there were more of these creatures to deal with, and he had no desire to leave a job that was only half done.

So with only his endless mechanical breathing to break the silence, the former Jedi proceeded into the darkness.

…

**Another chapter done XD**

**Pleased to see this story gain such interest ****J **

**Gotten some ideas of how to proceed with this story now that I've finally gotten past the Goblin Slayer intro XD. Think I portrayed him well…if slightly more wordy than his cannon portrayal XD.**

**Anyways, hope this ties you all over til I get back to it.**

**Til next time.**

**Reviews yes, no flames. **


	6. Questioning one's purpose

Though her colleagues would often tease her about her favorite part of her job, they nevertheless agreed with Guild Girl's perception that welcoming returning adventurers was an important part of their duties.

Albeit for different reasons.

For analyzing the physical and mental condition of those who returned from a quest, whether it have been successfully completed or not, allowed the staff of the Adventurer's Guild to determine how they could best ensure the continued tenure of those who risked their lives out in the wilderness.

This could range from stamina and recovery potions, generously provided discounts in the dining area, and perhaps the most important, conversations to better ascertain whether or not they were cut out for their chosen professions.

Such conversations were rare for returning adventurers, not only because of the high degree of competiveness that existed between almost each member of the guild, which resulted in the more negative aspects of their journey being downplayed, but also because most parties either returned with all their members, or they did not return at all.

In fact, apart from the adventurer that had once borne the label Young Warrior, Guild Girl could not recall the last time she had ever dealt with those who had lost party members, but in her mind this was for the best.

For since she had seen the state of those who had been rescued from the clutches of Goblins and other monstrous beings, she had come to believe that there were times when death was better than living.

Which is why she was more than a touch concerned when she witnessed the return of what had been perhaps the most innocent new adventurer she had ever met, but also the only man in her life who could cause her to drop her normally professional demeanor.

Waiting until the mismatched pair reached her desk, and taking a brief moment to look over the girl she had previously believed to be amongst the dozens, if not hundreds of adventurers who failed to survive their first quest, Guild Girl quickly sported a smile as she addressed the shoddily equipped adventurer.

"Welcome back Goblin Slayer. I trust that your mission was a success"?

Receiving a single nod from the silver ranked specialist, Guild Girl allowed her smile to lose some of its brightness as Goblin Slayer proceeded to answer her question.

"The Goblins were wiped out. But not before they had already killed 2 of the girl's companions, and rendered the 3rd member cationic from their actions".

Nodding her head to show that she understood exactly what Goblin Slayer meant by the term 'actions', the blond haired receptionist turned her attention away from the stoic adventurer and redirected it towards his somewhat glum looking companion.

"I am truly sorry about your companions. However, I feel that I must ask you whether you would like to continue as a member of the guild. There's no real shame in admitting that you aren't cut out for this sort of life. And as a young woman with an obvious desire to help people, I feel that you would do well helping the abbeys".

Having expected the young cleric to meekly accept the offer with a mumbled word of thanks, Guild Girl was surprised when instead she received a look that, while slightly nervous, nevertheless possessed a noticeable amount of determination that had been notably absent during her registration.

"I think…I think I want to keep at it. Yes it was scary, and…and terrifying, and more than a little disgusting".

At this point Priestess's eyes slightly narrowed as they shot a mild look of annoyance at her armored savior. An act that brought a brief smile of amusement to Guild Girl's face before she resumed her professional demeanor.

"But its clear that the work is necessary. My only regret is that my…comrades couldn't be saved, but I will nevertheless see my survival as a blessing from the Earth Mother. For what better calling is there than to help fight such loathsome evil".

Though surprised by the younger girl's declaration, the blond haired receptionist nevertheless nodded to show her approval before turning towards the still silent Goblin Slayer.

"Looks like you got quite the enthusiastic partner there Goblin Slayer. I trust that you'll treat her in a manner that reflects upon the rank the Guild has given you"?

Ensuring that there was just the tiniest bit of threatening steel in her voice as she addressed the man who was well known for his less than tactful social skills, Guild Girl fought the urge to sigh in relief as Goblin Slayer accepted her suggestion/demand.

"I suppose. However, as much help as she was, she will need to better prepare herself if she wishes to ensure her continued survival. Which means that I will be conducting the next quest by myself".

As soon as he said those words, the 2 females instantly sported different reactions to his announcement.

The young cleric's was understandable, and very familiar since most people would expect to take a well deserved break after what was considered to be a traumatizing and deadly experience. But since he was capable of tuning out his childhood friend's words of concern, though he knew never to push her past a certain point, it was easy to ignore the shocked expression of a girl who he had just met.

Guild Girl's expression on the other hand was more confusing. Normally, she would either sigh at his persistence before informing him of the available quests, or she would smile in a manner that was similar to his red haired friend as she told him that there were no quests that required his attention.

However, such a look had been replaced with unease as informed him of the only thing that would convince him to take a break.

"I'm sorry Goblin Slayer. But there are no further goblin slaying quests at this time. The last one had been given to a new member of the Guild, but there is no need to go after him. As he clearly demonstrated to the more….experienced members of the Guild, he is more than capable of handling himself".

Giving a brief nod of his head, which Guild Girl took to understand that he was agreeing to call it quits for the day, Goblin Slayer remained silent as he headed towards the exit.

Only one thought plaguing his mind as he left his primary place of information gathering.

And that was whether or not this new adventurer would succumb to his inevitable injuries before he finished wiping out the Goblin nest.

…

_'Kuuuuuuh Kerrrrrhhhh. Kuuuuuuh Kerrrrhhhh'_

As befitting a member of a race that willingly rejected the scorching rays of the sun for the comforting darkness of the underground, the leader of the goblin nest was blessed, as was all members of his race, with abilities that could rival that of most Dwarves.

The ability to see, smell, and hear ones prey in the pitch blackness of the sunless realms was the primary advantage goblin kind had over those foolish enough to dare seek them out below ground.

Which is why the constant noise served to increase the usually well contained fear that the nest leader always held whenever he was forced to deal with those who were brave enough to try and rescue those who had become nothing more than incubators for the next generation of his kind.

Usually, adventurers, be they useful females or males, would choose to adopt a more stealthy approach as they tried to find the lowermost chamber of the nest. A tactic that would have proven useful if they had been hunting less superior creatures like himself.

But this one….this one didn't even try to hide it's approach, which was all the more concerning considering that it had to have wiped out more than half the nest in order to be close enough to hear.

But despite the loss of over half his minions, whether it be at the murderous hands of this soon to be dead adventurer or through cowardly desertion, the nest leader was still confident that he still had a chance of escaping the fate that had fallen on numerous members of his kind.

With 11 of his men backing up the hulking mass of muscle that served as his chief enforcer, the nest leader was certain that the previously lucky adventurer would meet his end.

Even if it's breathing managed to unnerve him to no end.

…

Thanks to his connection to the Force, the former Jedi was able to determine not only how many of these disgusting creatures remain to be destroyed, but also on how much a threat they posed to him.

He sensed that 11 of these abominations were similar in nature and skill to the 20 he had already exterminated, with the 2 remaining creatures possessing enough difference to cause the cyborg to alter his tactics.

Not because he was worried that these more unique mutations could best him, but because he was curious to see how their methods differed from their more numerous compatriots.

He already knew that they possessed hearing that could detect all but the stealthiest of trespassers, which made turning off his respirator to conceal his movements pointless unless he was within striking range. And that they required no light in order to navigate the darkness of their squalid surroundings.

These attributes did much to compensate for their less than intimidating size, which in turn explained why so many so called adventurers failed to survive even a single encounter with a species that had a natural advantage, at least underground, when it came to surprise attacks.

Which is why Vader was slightly intrigued by their decision to forgo the usual method of stealth and confront him directly.

In the end, it would do nothing to change their well-deserved fate.

For as he had proved time and time again, whether it was during the Clone Wars, or during his service as the Emperor's most powerful agent, nothing, except perhaps the man he had once regarded as his brother, could stand against him in a direct confrontation.

…

Though the dimly let cavern echoed with the continuous breathing of the approaching intruder, for the first time since that cursed noise had made itself known, another sound, one that sent a jolt of anticipation through all of his minions, could be heard.

The slow, yet unmistakable sound of footsteps.

Judging by the intruder's pace, not only was he wearing armor that required at least the strength of a hob in order to effectively move in, but also lacked the timid hesitant steps of a traumatized weakling, or the rapid foot falls of those who believed that they could do anything as long as they moved fast enough.

No, the slow heavy steps were those of a being who was confident that their adversaries stood no chance in defeating him regardless of any hidden scheme they may have up their sleeves

And as the heavily breathing intruder finally stepped into out of the passageway that connected the nest's deepest chamber with the labyrinth above, the Goblin leader had to admit that perhaps the armored being had cause to be so confident.

…..

Allowing a small frown of disgust to grace his masked features as he took in the conditions of what was presumably the creatures throne room, an expression that deepened as he noticed that the throne was comprised of bones that were too small to belong to an adult, Vader turned his attention towards the 2 beings that disgustingly enough reminded him of his former circumstances.

It was safe to assume that like the majority of the Empire, few beings of this world would view the wizened staff holding creature as a credible threat, choosing instead to bestow that title on the hulking brute that towered over the smaller members of its kind. But since he had spent the last 2 decades of his life as the servant of a man who chose to hide his power behind the façade of a still living corpse, not to mention his time in an order that was led by a 800 year old troll, Vader knew better than most to take things at face value.

Especially since the so called leader of these pathetic lifeforms chose to rather stupidly reveal what it was capable of instead of using its minions to gain an idea of his fighting style.

But even though this wretched creature possessed the ability to shoot fire from its hands, it was still more than clear that it was no match for the veteran Force user.

Batting away the average sized fire ball with the same casual motion he had used countless times during the war against the Rebels, and not bothering to wait for another similar projectile to be launched at him, the former Jedi went on to offensive.

Though the Dark Side of the Force expressed it's approval at his victory, especially when he had lodged his blade in the big one's neck before choking the life out of the so called magic user, in truth Vader felt somewhat underwhelmed with his victory.

Yes he had managed to destroy these creatures with minimal effort, all he could feel was the emotion that was similar to what he had felt during the middle years of his apprenticeship to Sidious.

At least then, he had the goal of safe guarding the growing power of the Empire, but now, the only sense of accomplishment he received was that a minor threat had been dealt with.

But as the Force like to constantly remind him, his feelings of his situation where largely meaningless. For just as he was about to leave this disgusting den, the lighter side of the Force captured his attention through the use of a much battered agent.

"Pl…please. Kill me".

…

**I know I know. Cliffhangers and short chapters. Hate them, hate them a lot XD. But sometimes, they come about anyway lol.**

**Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Slowly working my way to having Vader meet Goblin Slayer, picture the meeting happening during the formation of the party.**

**But til then, hopefully you are satisfied with this.**

**Til next time ****J **


	7. Checking In

Maintaining her cheerful expression as she pulled her uncle's heavily laden dairy cart, for she always enjoyed the chance to spend some time alone with her currently armored childhood friend, the buxom red head ended the previous atmosphere of silence by expressing her opinion regarding her companion's morning ritual.

"Hey. I know you must be tired of hearing this by now, but I want you to know that I really appreciate you checking around the farm every morning".

"No problem. It's the best time of day to see if Goblins are preparing for a surprise attack. Any earlier and you run the risk of alerting them to your sweeps, which in turn increases the chances of them changing their plan. But too late, and your left with little time to prepare".

Though most people would have sighed in bemusement at this line of reasoning, Cow Girl had long since gotten used to Goblin Slayer's method of explaining things. For in her mind, it showed that he cared for her continued well being.

Even though she was still mildly put out by the man's continued inability to act in a less focused manner. Or at least, the inability to devote more of his attention to other things besides goblin slaying.

"Hmmm. But I'm sure that even if you did find something, you'd be able to handle it".

Chuckling as her comment managed to cause a reaction from her armored companion, even if it was only a slight rotation of his helmet, the crimson haired beauty found some of her mirth disappearing as Goblin Slayer responded to her comment.

"Maybe. But only if they were few in number and if I got the drop on them. If their numbers were too large, or if they were prepared for someone to come looking for them, then I suspect the farm would be overrun".

Though it would have been impossible for anyone else to hear, and Cowgirl wasn't 100% sure she wasn't simply wishing what she wanted to hear, the tone of the silver ranked adventurer carried a hint of protectiveness went mentioning the place they both called home.

Knowing that it was pointless to continue this particular topic of discussion, for it was both depressing and also terrifying for the girl who had not only barely managed to survive the destruction of her village, but had also been spared the horror of watching it happen, the buxom girl attempted to change the direction of their conversation.

"So, do you think it will be busy at the Guild today"?

Though his face was hidden from her, Cowgirl could almost picture the puzzled expression that was currently being displayed across her friends face as he tried to come up with an answer to this random question.

"Depends what you mean by busy. If your referring to having the building packed with adventurers, the answer is probably yes. But whether if its because their waiting for new quests to be issued, or are simply returning from a quest, I cannot say".

Shaking her head in amusement at his answer, and taking note of the steadily growing structures that laid in front of them, Cowgirl retained her smiling expression as she gestured towards their approaching destination.

"Well, I suppose you'll soon have a chance to find out".

Her words earning yet another nod from her stoic companion, the buxom niece of a dairy farmer chose to remain silent as to better enjoy their remaining time together.

…

Though having refreshed herself after returning from her rather….intense introduction to the adventuring life, Priestess couldn't fight the increasing amount of nervousness that coursed through her body as she waited for her partner to return.

Not because she was afraid of her next confrontation of evil. Though thinking about what she could expect did little to sooth her nerves.

Nor was it because she was fearing that Goblin Slayer would refuse to allow her to accompany him during their next mission. For after she had been dismissed to rest from their trial in the goblin tunnels, Priestess had sought to prepare herself as much as possible. She had asked the few adventurers that were healing at the abbey how to best prepare for a quest, and had used what meager finances she had managed to save to ensure she could make the most of this advice.

A concealed set of chain-mail to help protect her from stabs in the dark.

Potions to help recover one's health and stamina should one find themselves unable to do so through magical or normal means.

No, her increased nervousness had to do with the consequences of having earned greater favor with her goddess.

While the ability to evoke an additional miracle was greatly appreciated, even if she was still somewhat hesitant to mention it to Goblin Slayer considering the uses he would no doubt use it for, the young girl's ability to perceive the darkness in others was something that continued to unsettle her.

Though the Abbess had stated that it was more to determine the amount of light within a person rather than the amount of evil they might possess, and that those who were just granted this ability would find it difficult to predict with 100% accuracy what a person's moral alignment was.

But despite having this ability for only a short while, which she was forbidden from revealing to those who weren't recognized servants of the Earth Mother, Priestess had already managed to put this skill to good use. Even if it was for purely selfish reasons.

For with the skill, she had known which members of the Guild possessed good intentions when trying to convince her to join their party, and which ones were hiding their true selves behind a mask.

Thankfully, apart from that overly friendly Rhea, most of those who approached her were either firmly in the light, or had auras that were slight shades of gray. Which she had been instructed to mean that they had reached the point where their quests were starting to influence them to a dangerous degree.

Which was why she was nervous to once again be in Goblin Slayer's presence.

Not because she was worried that his noble actions were actually a front to hide an evil nature, but because she was concerned that his aura might share the same shade of apathetic grey she had briefly seen in other adventurers.

But as she watched him march through the Guild doors, doing her best to ignore the sudden pang of jealousy as she took in the rather gifted figure of his red haired companion, such thoughts were driven from her mind.

For while his aura did possess some rather troubling grey spots, it was nevertheless colored with…

"Good you're here. What's the best way to hide your scent from a Goblin"?

Unsure if she should laugh at the man's one track mind, or shudder as the question reminded her of the disgusting experience she was still trying to get over, Priestess nevertheless responded to the rather unorthodox greeting with a voice filled with determination.

"Covering one's self with something that makes one smell like a Goblin. Though I must ask Goblin Slayer sir, isn't there something else that can be used for that besides…blood"?

Her question earning a look of sympathy from everyone who was in earshot, though she noticed only the overall wearing red head was directing a slightly chastising look towards the silver ranked adventurer, the blond girl felt a slightly strained smile spread across her face as she listened to Goblin Slayer's response to both her answer and her question.

"Correct. And I suppose so. However, the stench of Goblin blood is more tolerable than covering one's self in the…other types of waste they produce. Not to mention more readily accessible since Goblin store their waste away from their main entrances".

Unsure if she should feel relieved or disgusted at that piece of information, the robe wearing girl followed her strangely dedicated companion companion as he made his way towards reception.

…

"Yeah it wasn't easy. But after I managed to trick the beast into a corner, it only took one quick thrust to bring it down. Impressive no"?

Shooting the golden haired woman a smile that had managed to charm countless women over the years, which also included his purple haired companion, the spear wielding adventurer barely succeeded in keeping his confident composure as his target acted like she usually did during his attempts to impress her.

"Yes most impressive. But can you explain how you managed to corner the troll in the first place? Such information will be useful for other adventurers who may find themselves in a similar situation such as yourself".

Doing his best not to feel too intimidated by that professional smile, not to mention the amused giggling of the only person who knew that his latest batch of heroics had been less intended than he was making them out to be, Spearman prepared to give a less…embarrassing account of his exploits, when the unwanted voice of his rival spoke up behind him.

"Are there any Goblin quests today"?

Gritting his teeth in frustration, though it had more to do with the way Guild Girl's expression seemed to light up at that predictable question than the interruption itself, the spear using adventurer barely managed to hold his tongue as the second most irritating person in his life captured the attention of the girl of his dreams.

"Good morning Goblin Slayer. And as a matter of fact there are. However, before I can give them to you, a trio of interested persons have requested a meeting with you. I can't really go into details, but I assure you that it will be of interest".

Gritting his teeth at how Goblin Slayer, the fanatic who only hunted the weakest of the weak, managed to get Guild Girl to relax her usual professional demeanor when the most he could get was a tired looking smile, Spearman was prevented from mentioning this rather unfair favoritism when a sound that he never hoped to hear again reached his ears.

"_Khoooh Puuuhrr"._

Doing his best to retain his confident demeanor, something that was rather difficult considering he wasn't sure if he should run away from the newest member of the guild or stand his ground, Spearman nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand land on his shoulder.

"I think…that it is…best if we…now take our leave. Thank you for…your time Guild Girl".

Flashing his voluptuous companion a look that was part grateful part sulking, for no man liked to play the part of damsel in distress, Spearman allowed himself to be dragged away from the trio.

And not a moment too soon.

For just as Witch managed to pull him towards the more crowded part of the building, which coincidentally also included a back exit, the spear wielding adventurer could hear the thudding footsteps of the being that required no spoken incantation to render him powerless.

And considering the slight chill in the air, though by no means as frigid as that night he had first met the armored man's acquiatance, Spearman believed that it would be far more beneficial to his health to be elsewhere if the intimidating magic user was in a bad mood.

…..

Though many denizens in his old life would have viewed his actions to be in the service of the Dark Side of the Force, for the act of robbing someone of life was seen as committing a crime against the Light Side of the Force, the former Jedi knew that his actions in the Goblin Nest had been an act of mercy that his former master's would have been incapable of performing.

Sidious, if he hadn't chosen to extend the amount of suffering by providing a form of healing that was even worse that the cause of the initial pain, would have simply let the girl die from both her injuries and from the efforts of birthing another one of those vile abomination.

While Obi-Wan would probably have done nothing, like he had after their duel on Mustafar, allowing the girl's fate to be determined by the will of the Force.

Neither of them would have chosen to honor to the girl's demand to end her suffering before she birthed another vile creature into the world, either due to malice or aloofness, but Vader took pride in being different from those who had shaped him into the monster he had become.

And while he could sense the Force mourn the loss of an innocent soul, the former Jedi could also sense a mild sense of approval that her suffering had come to an end, and the feeling of relief the girl had felt at being struck down by his light saber.

It was a distasteful task, but like other such actions he had taken during the course of his life, either as a Jedi or as a Sith, he performed it without regretting what he had done.

Only one potential issue remained for the Force wielding cyborg to overcome.

That of explaining his actions to the organization that had given him his task in the first place.

They would no doubt be pleased with the complete destruction of the Goblin Nest, though they might view his actions of causing a cave in to deny future use of the tunnel system as excessive, but the final parts of the mission would probably evoke some sort of irritating protest from either the leaders of the organization he was now part of, or from his so called colleagues.

And while he did not care for the personal opinion of others, something which had undoubtedly frustrated many Imperial politicians and military officer, Vader did care about having his time wasted by those who lacked the intelligence to ensure that their survival skills did not trump their personal morals.

Which is why the former Sith Lord ensured that he gave off an aura of near subtle menace as he approached the doors of the Adventurers Guild.

Not enough to cause the surrounding beings to recognize him as an immediate threat that should be removed immediately, but enough to ensure that he was undisturbed as he made his way to the understandable nervous woman's desk.

However, he had to give the blond haired woman credit for at least attempting to act as a professional agent of the Guild.

For unlike the much younger girl that remained rooted to the spot in terror, or that fool who tried to hide his fear behind a mask of bravado, Guild Girl still possessed enough courage, or perhaps it was foolishness, to treat him like a normal man.

"We…welcome back sir. Would it be safe to assume that your mission was a success then"?

Inclining his head forward in lieu of wasting words for such an obvious answer, and idly noting that more than a few adventurers were actively trying to listen in to his conversation, Vader merely waited for the receptionist to begin her inquiry before answering in his normal fashion.

"How many Goblins were there"?

"31".

'Where there any variations to the types you encountered"?

"Only 2 showed any differences from the rest. One was as tall as me and possessed overly large muscles. While the other was as small as the rest of the creatures, but possessed the ability to shoot fire from it's weapon".

"I see. And how many of them escaped the…extermination of the nest"?

At this particular question, even Vader's vocoder couldn't hide the pleasure his voice held as he answered that particular question.

"None".

Allowing a smirk to cross his features as his answer caused a fresh outbreak of muttering amongst his eavesdroppers, and only mildly interested as to why the young girl, who had previously been staring at him with terror, had allowed a hint of gratitude to enter her gaze, the former Jedi was almost disappointed by how calmly Guild Girl continued her line of questioning.

"I see. Did you sustain any injuries"?

"No".

Which was technically a truthful answer considering the location of the cut he had received from the Goblin knife. But since he had no desire to reveal that his limbs lacked anything resembling organic material, the former Jedi could only allow feel a sense of relief to be spared that potentially irritating line of questioning as Guild Girl continued.

Though the question she asked was one that he expected to be slightly troublesome to answer.

"Were there any survivors discovered in the nest"?

….

**Think I'll end the chapter here for now XD.**

**I know I know. Cliff hangers..got to hate them XD. But this allows me to think of how the next segement of the story will take place, and gives me a chance to work on other things while you my loyal readers offer your opinions XD.**

**Anyway…finally gotten to Cow Girl's intro. As well as setting up the intro of the Elf, Dwarf, and Lizard. Will expand next chapter.**

**And….I think the segement with Priestess is possible/plausible. From what I've read in the lightnovel/manga, and seen in the anime…she does seem to have a sense of who's good, whose evil, etc. So thought I'd expand on that in order to better develop how her interactions with Vader will go.**

**And yes, beginning to approach the point where Vader's mechanical 'state' will be addressed. And whether or not there is something to heal/make him more functional in the GS world. Cause in both Cannon and Legends, the suit needs recharging XD.**

**Anyways, will get back to this when I can. Hope you all enjoyed this.**

**Looking for a Beta reader to help me with grammar etc.**

**As always, pls review. No flames. **


	8. Unstoppable Force vs Unstoppable Force

Though she was still trying to adjust to the harshness of the world that existed beyond the limits of abbey life, Priestess could honestly say that she would probably never feel as terrified and intrigued as she was at this very moment.

Yes her first day as an adventurer had almost resulted in her sharing the fate of her first comrades, though she was uncertain if her suffering would have been as short as Wizard's or prolonged like Fighter's, but her rescuer, unorthodox he might be, had nevertheless reminded her that the forces of good were alive and active in a world threatened by darkness.

But standing near a being whose aura all but announced his alliance with the darker powers of the world, was enough to remind her that the gods of darkness were just as interested in plunging the world into chaos as the gods of light were interested in maintaining order.

Thus Priestess remained frozen to spot, much in the way a mouse froze when trying to avoid the attention of a predator, and listened with understandable nervousness as this black armored being answered the questions that were being asked of him by Guild Girl.

But while the deep voice was far blunter than even the man who had saved her life, the young girl couldn't help but question her earlier judgement as the armored man revealed the details of his quest.

For to take on 31 Goblins, on their own turf no less, required a great deal of courage. But the man had managed to not only successfully do so, but had also done it without the aid of others.

A task that was more impressive not only because he managed to wipe out the entire nest, but also because of the presence of a Goblin Shaman and a Hobgoblin.

It was after hearing of that extraordinary deed that Priestess allowed herself to peer at the imposing man's aura, and upon seeing it, she was uncertain if the gasp that almost passed her lips was because of shock, or wonder.

She was unsurprised, and a slightly disappointed to see that it was dark in color. But to have it resemble a star lit night sky, not to mention the way it seemed to disappear into whiteness when it drew past his knees and elbows, that had been something that she hadn't expected.

Nor did she expect the 'stars' to dim as he spoke of the fate of those who had been unfortunate enough to find themselves at the non existent mercy of the Goblins.

"There was one. Unfortunately, she was past saving by the time I arrived".

Frowning as she heard this answer, for to her ears it sounded like the black armored adventurer was trying to avoid the question, Priestess felt her nervousness increase as she saw the man's aura darken as Guild Girl pressed for more information.

"Can you be more specific with your answer please? I know that the topic might be…difficult, but for the sake of our records, I need to know precisely what happened".

For a moment, the young girl felt like she was standing on the edge of a frigid abyss. A feeling that only got worse as the armored behemoth described, in detail, what he had discovered in the Goblin tunnels.

"The girl was being used a…incubator for those creatures. It was apparent that the abomination growing inside her, while not the first, was certainty going to be the last thing she accomplished in this world. So I agreed to fulfil her last request".

Gripping her staff tighter, for the fate that had just been described could have very well been hers if Goblin Slayer hadn't arrived when he did, Priestess was thankfully prevented from continuing her recollections due to the man's sudden bust of impatience.

"If you are quite finished with your interrogation, I wish to enquire if there are any further quests of that particular…nature".

…..

Allowing an amused smirk to spread across his features as he took in the girl's expression, though he was slightly confused as to why there was a slight feeling of amusement coming from the collected members of the guild, Vader found himself surprised when the receptionist was interrupted by one who had previously been too frightened to utter a sound.

"But your han…I mean, your injured. You can't possibly go out on another quest until your healed".

Slowly turning his head to take in the appearance of the girl, the former Jedi found some of his earlier irritation returning as the receptionist decided to intervene.

"Not to mention the fact that you had previously stated that you suffered no injuries. Lying on official reports is something that isn't exactly good for a professional relationship you know".

Doing his best to remember that these females were far different from the numerous Imperial officers that had provoked his ire, Vader held up his gloved hand towards the older woman to show her his so called 'wound'.

"While I admit to having one of my…opponents get close enough to ensure a successful strike, I assure you that they caused me no har…".

"Did you immediately take an antidote"?

Allowing a bit of his anger to flare outward at this interruption, which resulted in the young girl cowering in a way that could put even a Neimoidian to shame, the former Jedi answered the question in his usual blunt tone.

"There was no need. While the blade did pierce the glove, it failed to pierce the metal of my…armor".

Pleased to see that his answer had been accepted by the receptionist, though he was still somewhat annoyed by how the younger female seemed to be staring at his leather covered prosthetic, Vader allowed some of his anger to dissipate as he repeated his earlier question.

"Now that that has been settled, I will ask again. Do you have any more quests that involve the extermination of those…creatures"?

Earning a nod from the admirably professional woman, who wisely provided him with the available contracts, written in words that he could not read, the former Jedi reached deep into the Force in order to determine which of them deserved his immediate attention.

Sadly however, the Force was of little help at this moment.

For while it did provide a brief glimpse of what these Goblins could achieve if left alone, he could sense that not only it would be some time before they felt secure enough to move beyond simple thievery, but also that they lacked the means and urgency, though not the desire, to begin increasing their numbers.

Deciding that he would have to select one at random, since it would not be wise to reveal his inability to decipher this planet's written language, Vader prepared to point at one of the pieces of paper when the voice of the younger girl once again rose above his breathing.

"D…do you mean to do this by yourself"?

Slowly turning his heavily armored body so he didn't have to keep turning his head, the fallen Chosen One almost felt amused as he allowed the girl to stammer her excuse for once again interfering in his business.

"It…its just that Gob…Goblin quests are very dangerous. An…and since your only a ob…obsidian rank, yo…you shouldn't being doing it by yourself".

Unsure if he should be amused at the girl's concern, or annoyed at having his abilities questioned by someone who looked like they were about to wet themselves with fear, Vader's already limited patience was tested again with a voice that was almost as blunt as his own.

"She's right. When going after Goblins for the first time, it is wiser to do so in a group rather than as an individual. Especially if you don't know what your doing".

…..

Ignoring the embarrassed expression that had come over Priestess's face at the unintended reminder, as well as the nervous expression that was currently adorning Guild Girl's face, Goblin Slayer stood his ground as the reflective lenses of the black armored adventurer turned to regard him.

"And what makes you think that I do not know what I am doing"?

Unperturbed by the man's hostile response, though he was somewhat concerned by the light, almost unnotiable pressure that was currently pressed across his throat, the Goblin slaying specialist answered the question in his typical fashion.

"I never said you were. However, considering the volume of your breathing, I suspect that you'll have some difficulty in taking them by surprise".

Not that the stealth approach was a guaranteed way to successfully survive a Goblin quest, let alone complete it. But considering one had a greater chance of success if the Goblins were unaware of an intruder, there was something to be said about the use of stealth.

Something that was acknowledged, albeit grudgingly, by the towering monolith.

"Yours words…have some truth to them. However, stealth was not necessary for the 2 nests I…extinguished. A credible threat to those who are unprepared, or lack proper training, but in the end…they are no match for the power I possess".

Although his helmet prevented anyone from seeing his face, Goblin Slayer was currently wearing an expression that could easily tell people that he was impressed by not only this statement, but also by the one who made it.

For while he too was capable of wiping out one nest after the other, Goblin Slayer knew that to do so required heavy preperation, and a degree of stealth. For until recently, he had undergone thesse missions alone, and thus had to do all that he could to ensure that he wasn't overwhelmed by the Goblins superior numbers.

But this man, while confident to the point or arrogance, nevertheless appeared to have the skill set to back it up.

Although his equipment could have been better designed if he was to devote himself to the extermination of the Goblin race.

The helmet was a good idea, especially with how it protected the neck. But the design of its eye piecesm, not to mention the way it seemed to amplify its user's breathing, was something that would limit its usefulness in the darkened passageways of a Goblin nest.

The shoulder armor looked heavy enough to easily deflect a Goblin blade, with the cape being used either as a means to hide its wearer's movements, or as a potential means to either blind or choke an opponent. But they would probably get in the way when speed and agility was required.

The blinking lights around his torso and belt would attract the attention of the creatures who had perfect night vision.

The weapon that hung at his side, while easily concealed, was probably too fragile/high maintenance to be used in constant close quartered fighting.

And his height, while slightly imposing, or more than slightly considering Priestess's less than calm demeanor, would probably become detrimental considering the locations in which Goblins were more likely to inhabit.

But despite these limitations, and with no one to provide support, the black armored being had wiped out 2 nests without concealing his presence, or using anything that he did not have on his person.

Which is why Goblin Slayer was completely sincere when he responded to the man's boasting.

" I see".

…..

Holding her head in her hand as she heard the typical response of her partner, for she suspected that Goblin Slayer's answer would further irritate the more intimidating adventurer, Priestess had to fight the urge to sigh in relief as Guild Girl decided to take the lead in preventing the two men from coming to blows.

"Now that we've managed to fully clear up the misunderstanding of your report, have you decided which Goblin slyaing quest you wish to undertake"?

Fighting the sudden urge to giggle as both men turned their heads at the same time to stare at the blond haired woman, the young cleric let out a sigh as her partner lived up to his reputation of being slightly single minded.

"I have. The 3 adventurers you had me meet were able to convince me to join them. So they will be accompanying me on my quest to destroy the nest".

Puffing out her cheeks in irritation, since this was not the first time he had made decisions without consulting her opinion, Priestess found her earlier apprehension returning as the more intimidating adventurer showed a noticeable amount of interest in Goblin Slayer's words.

"You…are undertaking a quest to exterminate a more….troublesome nest of these creatures"?

Fighting the urge to stare in wonder at the man's aura, for never before had she witnessed the dark and light aspects of a person's spirit intensify in near perfect harmony, Priestess was uncertain if she should sigh in frustration or resignation as her silver ranked partner answered the question.

"That is correct. These Goblins are not only large in number, but have also established themselves relatively close to a populated settlement. Therefore it needs to be taken care of immediately".

Resigning herself to another disgustingly terrifying quest, albeit one whose completion would hopefully please the Earth Mother, the blond haired cleric found her self experiencing yet another mini panic attack as the deep voice of the imposing adventurer dragged her away from the thought of once again being covered in Goblin blood.

"I see. Then you will not object if I…accompany you on this mission"?

Rendered speechless by such an offer, though she derived some comfort from the fact that both Guild Girl, and many of the eavesdropping adventurers were currently sharing her shocked expression, Priestess barely caught the slight motion of Goblin Slayer's helmet as he considered this offer.

"Hmmm. I suppose it would be useful to have another person with fighting experience. But I'm not sure that we'll be able to keep our presence quiet if we allow you tag along".

Shivering as the air momentarily became as cold as a winters night, Priestess gripped her staff tighter as the black armored adventurer raised his hand to point at her not so mildly obsessed partner.

"Do not presume to have any say over my actions adventurer. The abilities that I possess are far beyond your ability to comprehend. Which means that any attempt to exert power over me is futile. However, in this instance, since our goals appear to be similar, I suppose that I can tolerate a more….equal relationship between us. I trust that this…. arrangement is suitable to you"?

Expecting her partner to give one of his infamous short responses, at least if he didn't walk away and act like the conversation had never happened, Priestess was more than surprised when Goblin Slayer was interrupted by a voice that was both youthful, and yet possessed a quality that one would have expected from one who had seen countless years.

"Hey Orcbolg! We heading out or…WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING"?

….

**And I think that's enough for now XD. **

**FINALLY got to the point where our favorite Goblin obsessed warrior meets the most badass Force use in history. And I am reasonably pleased with how this turned out. **

**Next chapter of course will cover the groups interactions with Vader, picturing a very amusing/volatile reaction from High Elf Archer XD. **

**Also…considering incorporating SOME elements from the Abridged series. Nothing too major since I find it very hard to have a funny Vader (except perhaps in the father son/daughter comics…and artwork with Aphra), but the Dwarfs drinking….and Goblin Slayer mistaking the Ogre for a Goblin…THAT MIGHT be incorporated. **

**Cause right now, I can easily picture "What about you Lord Vader. Have a sip of the Duergar's Grundle". **

**Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this. Plz Review, no flames**

**Til next time. **


	9. Campfire Bonding

Though he was well used to having people stare at him with either apprehension or out right terror, a reaction that was no doubt intended by the man responsible for desiging his mobile prison, it had been a long time since he had been confronted with an indivdual who possessed the courage/lacked the survival instinct, to treat his presence as an annoyance.

Though considering the more identifable purpose of his suit, as well as the natural abilities of his new...teammate, Vader supposed that such an occurrence was inevtiable.

"Khooooh Puurrrr. Khooooh Puurrrr"

"CAN YOU CUT IT OUT FOR 5 MINUTES? SERIOUSLY! How are we supposed to sleep when you keep breathing like that"?

Managing to summon the will power to not treat the pointy ear girl in the manner that he treated insubordinate officers, the armored Force user was prevented from offering a verbal reply to the much smaller adventurer thanks to the intervention of one that resembled, at least in spirit and skin color, the former head of the Jedi Order.

"Now now. There is no reason to get upset. As comrades embarked on a dangerous mission, now is the time to develop more amicable relationships instead of fostering ill feelings".

His words earning a grumbling acceptance from the pointy eared female, Lizard Priest found his smile widening as his fellow adventurer supported his opinion.

"Scaly's got a point Long Ears. When it comes to combat in the dark, you want to be on good terms with those around you. Otherwise you might find yourself without a helping hand when you really need it. Or has this never occurred to you in the last 2000 years"?

Agreeing with the Dwarf's stance regarding relationships, even if it did dredge up memories when he had enjoyed a less…hostile relationship with his Jedi Master and Apprentice, Vader turned his helmet so that he was staring directly and the annoyed looking girl as he voiced his curiosity.

"You are not what one expects for a being who is 2 millennia in age".

Though he had not intended for his comment to inspire feelings of amusement, or hostility considering the glare that was currently being leveled at him, the former Jedi's observation managed to derive a round of boisterous laugher from the only 2 members of the party that didn't treat him with annoyed hostility, fear, or indifference.

"Wise words my friend. Immortality is wasted on those who can't make the most of it. Though it is possible that the elven puberty cycle is somewhat…slowed when one has nothing but eternity to look foward to. Or that the spirits chose to bless her with a body that was more suited to her personality. Flat and unyielding as an anvil".

Tilting his head in confusion at this observation, though he found the information regarding the existence of a race of immortals to be quite fascinating, Vader remained silent, or as silent as he could be with his respirator, as the youngish looking girl launched into an anger filler tirade.

"Wha….HOW DARE YOU. SO WHAT IF I DON'T LOOK LIKE THOSE BARRELS YOU DWARVES SEEM TO PREFER. I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN PRAISED FOR MY LOOKS BY HUNDREDS OF MEN".

"BARRELS? YOU MEAN VOLUPTOUS. MOST MEN PREFER TO HAVE THEIR WOMEN WITH SOMETHING TO HOLD ON TO YOU. THE ONLY MEN WHO'D BE INTERESTED IN AN ANVIL LIKE YOU WOULD BE THOSE WHO PREFER STRAIGHT LINES TO CURVES".

Feeling out of his depth for this conversation, for he had only ever been attracted to one woman in his life, Vader allowed his attention to be directed elsewhere as someone else decided to bring an end to their bickering.

"Come now friends. Surely it is better to eat before the day's end than quarel amongst ourselves? I have brought meat from my homeland, and I am sure there is enough to go around if we chose to adopt this more…amicable way to pass our time".

For a moment, Vader thought that the two adventurers would choose to ignore the suggestion of their reptillain comrade. But to his surprise, Elf Archer and Dwarf Shaman gave up their petty food to accept the invination to dinner.

"Your wisdom continues to impress me Scaly. For how can any Dwarf pass up the opportunity for food. Though I confess, despite my extensive experience, I have never before seen meat of that type before".

Pleased at having successfully convinced his comrades to give up their petty argument, for having chosen his path he was no longer interested in the desire go spread his bloodline, Lizard Priest held forth his mentioned prize with a look of respectful fondness.

"This meat comes from the swamps that exist within the ancestral lands of my people. Its uses are many, for the creatures hide can be made into the sturdiest clothing, but its meat is both good for long periods of travel, and also for filling an empty belly. So please help yourselves".

Declining to accept the offered meal, for his…condition made it impossible to sample anything but the disgusting paste that had been his primary food source for decades, the armored Force user was saved from having to explain his refusal to partake thanks to the somewhat condescending tone of the girl who, while older than Yoda, nevertheless appeared younger than his one time apprentice.

"Sorry Scaly, but my people don't consume flesh like the bearded youngster here. Our diet consists of what we either find in nature, or what we can coerce the spirits to grant us".

Rolling his eyes at this rather Jedi attitude, though most members of the deceased order had chosen to supplant their diets with meat, Vader chose to ignore the developing conversation as he considered the nature of his…unqiue companions.

The…Elf if he was remembering her species correctly, reminded him of oddly enough of his younger self before that fateful day on that Force forsaken planet. Yes she lacked the undeniable concern that had been a part of the enslaved Skywalker family. But the desire to travel, seeking adventure and doing good for those who were unfortunate enough not to be blessed with the means to escape their situation? That was present in the pointy eared female, nearly as much as it had been before the Order had tempered some of his youthful day dreaming.

The Dwarf, oddly enough, put him in mind of something he knew, or at least highly suspected to have never graced the galaxy with its presence. A selfless Hutt. For while the bearded man possessed many of the qualities of those disgusting slugs, most notable being the appetite and business savy, the stunted man was more than willinging to put these qualities towards the benefit of the group instead of focusing soley on himself.

The Lizard….of all the beings he had come across since the Force had deposisted him on this technological backwards planet, the Lizard was the one that bored the strongest resemblance to a Jedi. Albeit an unconventional one. For while the giant reptile continuously displayed acts of selflessness, the manner in which he did so was more reminiscent of a youngling than those who professed to follow the Will of the Force.

The one they called Goblin Slayer on the other hand, while largely remaining silent since the group had embarked on their quest, nevertheless possessed a focus that would earn praise from either the judgemental members of the Council, or even the Emperor himself. That by itself wasn't enough to draw his attention. Rather it was how the armor wearing adventurer appeared to him in the Force.

Everyone, especially the girl who couldn't have been older than when his Padawan had been assigned to him, remained more or less firmly secured with the Light Side of the Force. But unlike the rest of the group, himself included though his connection to the Dark Side remained, Goblin Slayer's connection was almost as muted as a droids.

The Force wasn't strong with him, neither was it weak. It was as if he existed just as an afterthought to some larger game.

Puzzling as this mystery was however, Vader did not let him concern him. All that mattered was that the Force, both it's aspects, wished for him to undertake this journey as a member of a group. And while he was uncertain as to why this was, the armored Force user knew from personal experience that it was better to follow the Will of the Force than to resist it.

Doing his best to block out the memories of what had happened the last time he had tried to prevent such an occurrence from happening, Vader was pulled from his musings by an event that would have caused the Rebels to break out into hysterics, and the Imperials to wet themselves in fear.

Thunk

Shocked though he was at having an object make contact with his helmet, the former Jedi was not one to repeat his mistakes. And thus was able to telekinetically catch the second projectile before turning a hidden glare towards the one responsible for this…incident.

"Is there a paritcular reason as to why your throwing acorns at me girl? If you wished for my attention, there are less….irrtating ways to do so".

His cold tone managing to draw an unmistakably apologetic look from the 2000 year old elf, though it lost some of its potency due to the unusually flushed nature of her face, Vader found himself rendered speechless by the answer he received to his question.

"Was…hick…asking if you had anything to share with…hick.. the rest of us? Scaly provided the meat. Priestess and the Dwarf gave us vegetable stew and…Dune Gears Grendel".

"Its called Duergars Grundel Elf. Probably should have taken a smaller sip. When one's body is lacking in…size, one tends to be a bit more susceptible to its potency".

Turning his head slightly to catch sight of the Dwarf sipping from what appeared to be a barrel of alcohol, Vader soon experienced the twin emotions of amusement and annoyance as the Elf continued her slightly drunken rant.

"Who…hick…cares what its called? This..ar…hick…armored asshole hasn't given us anything. Even that ot..hick…other armored asshole gave us cheese. Now its hi…hick…his turn".

Failing to recall the last time he had to put up with such cheek, though his association with that irritating archeologist was probably close to what he was experiencing now, Vader allowed a hint of his bitterness to enter his tone as he addressed the drunken Elf.

"Since I am…unable to eat as you do, I do not carry around such supplies. My apologies girl if my lack of consideration upsets you".

Expecting the pointy eared girl to react negatively to his comment, the former Jedi found himself nearly flinching as their heavil\y drinking companion partially identified the reason for this.

"Is it because of the metal in your body"?

The Dwarf's words causing the rest of the group, even Goblin Slayer, to pause their actions and stare at the most intimidating member of their group, it was Dwarf Shaman who answered the unspoken questions that coursed through each of their minds.

"Though I am a spellcaster, I am first and foremost a Dwarf. And all Dwarves have the ability to sense the presence of metal. Though I must say, you are the first being I have come across whose limbs have been fashioned in such a life like fashion. The one that crafted them must have been truly gifted in the art of shaping met….did it just get colder"?

Unsure if his rage stemmed from having part of his…condition exposed to those who had barely known him a day, or from hearing someone praise the person responsible for designing and installing his shoddy cybernetic limbs, Vader fought the urge to vent his very present rage as he pointed a finger at the currently shivering Dwarf.

"You would be wise to drop the subject Dwarf. While we are allies in this current..endeavor, that does not emean that I will tolerate questions of such a…personal nat….".

"Does it hurt"?

Eyes widening in surprise at this unlooked for interruption, though he couldn't decide if it was because nobody had ever asked that question before or because of the one responsible for asking the question, the former Jedi stared into the understandably nervous expression of the young priestess while voicing a response that would hopefully put an end to this particular conversation.

"Yes. But its something I've come to terms with".

Doing his best to control his anger as the less inbreviated members of the group shot him mixed expressions of shock and pity, Vader's grip on his already volatile emotions almost loosned as the Elf asked him a question that no one had dared to ask after he had been formally recognized as the Emperor's chief enforcer.

"What hap…hick…happened? I mean, were you cu…hick….cursed by a witch to spend the rest of your life trapped in that armor. Or did y….hick….you get your ass ki….hick…kicked in a battle and can't….hick…take it off cause you'll be def…hick….defenseless without it".

Shocked by the Elf's audacity, accurate though it was, Vader was already in the process of giving into his darker impulses when the hesitant voice of the youngest member of their group brought an end to such murderous thoughts.

"If your in pain…I…I can try and heal it. The Earth Mother's blessed me with the ability to use 3 miracles a day, and considering that it will take another day to get to our destination, I might as well use one of them to try and help you".

…..

Though her eyes had momentarily drifted towards Goblin Slayer during the final part of her explanation, Priestess had nevertheless managed to keep her attention focused on the intimidating adventurer as she offered her help. Thus she was able to catch the minor change in his posture that told her that his rage had, at least for the moment, subsided.

"Though I do not doubt the…sincerity of such an offer, I respectively decline. I have long come to terms with my…condition, and despite its discomfort, the nature of my armor provides me with some benefits that would be hard to do without considering our upcoming mission".

Frowning as she considered her intimidating teammates words, for to her it sounded as if Vader believed that he wasn't worthy of being healed, the blond haired cleric was prevented from voicing such a suspicion thanks to Dwarf Shaman's attempt to change the mood of the group to something that was more uplifting.

"Speaking of our current mission, I'm curious to know why you all decided to embark on the life of an adventurer. My decision was of course influenced by my desire to sample as many different cuisines as possible, but I doubt that is the case with the rest of you, except perhaps Scaly".

Stifling a giggle as she watched her reptilian teammate cheerfully consume yet another piece of melted cheese, Priestesses adopted a thoughtful expression as she tried to explain her reasons for adopting this life.

"Well, as a child growing up in the temples, I was always helping to provide aid towards those who found themselves needing medical attention. And since a good deal of those who sought our help were adventurers, I started to wonder if perhaps I could one day play a more active role in helping those who risked their lives everyday to combat evil. The Earth Mother agreed with my unspoken prayer, giving me both the chance and the ability to not only work as her earthly agent, but also as someone who can provide aid when they need it most".

Her cheeks tinging in embarrassment as she revealed this information, for she was afraid that it might cause her teammates to laugh at her obvious naivety, Priestess was pleased at the support she received from the green scaled cleric.

"A most worthy reason to embark on this path young cleric. I too wished to take a more active role against the forces of evil, though I confess my reasons are perhaps a tad more…selfish in thought. For my people say that those who devote themselves to a path of righteousness will one day evolve into divine dragons, whose strength and wisdom help to maintain the ever delictate balance between good and evil. A task that I too wish to fulfil one day".

Humming in thoughtful consideration, for Lizard Priest's story was similar to other tales she had heard about how pure hearted indviduals could one day serve as angels for the Gods, the blond haired cleric was unsure if she should laugh or sigh as Goblin Slayer provided his reason for becoming an adventurer.

"I want to slay Goblins".

Having expected her savior/mentor to be his usually focused self, Priestess found herself nodding her head as Elf Archer voiced her opinion regarding Goblin Slayer's answer.

"Gee. Who could have gue….hick….guessed? At least my reasons are…hick…more fun. Seeing the world. Exploring an…hick…ancient ruins. Fighting monsters. That's wh…hick…what adventuring's about".

Though disagreeing with her fellow female, for her own experience as an adventurer had been anything but fun and exciting, Priestess nevertheless possessed enough tact to keep such comments to herself.

The same however could not be said of the man trapped within the terrifying armor.

"Time and experience will soon rob you of that perspective girl. Hardship and loss will not doubt temper that idealism of yours. That is of course if it doesn't destroy you first".

….

His words earning a look of disapproval from the youngest member of their group, as well as a look of outrage from the still inebriated Elf, Vader had to raise a non existent eyebrow in amusement as the scaled member of their party tried to prevent another fight from breaking out.

"And what about you my friend? What motivated you to partake in this life? Riches? The desire to test your strength? A desire to perform heroic deeds"?

His amusement fading at the last of the reptile's options, for it was a subtle reminder of what the citizens of the galaxy had called him during the Clone Wars, the former Jedi took a moment to consider the question before providing an answer that he hoped would prove sufficient.

"2 things master lizard. The first was my disgust at arriving in a land that dismisses a very real threat to its continued survival. Having previously been in a position where I was unable to do something against a clear injustice, I thought it proper that I do something to address this issue now that I lack the….restrictions that I once did".

Frowning as memories of the failings of the Jedi Order flashed through his mind, for if they had taken a more active stance in the Galaxy instead of subordinating themselves to a corrupt Senate much could have been avoided, Vader considered the best way to explain the second reason for his decision to partake in this more…mercenary type of lifestyle.

"The second reason stems from the….prompting I received when I entered this..country".

Seeing the frowns of confusion his words had caused, Vader resigned himself to expanding his answer. Only to have Priestess ask a question that, while incomplete, nevertheless provided him with a way to limit his explanation.

"Are you saying that you took up this life because of the gods"?

Amused by the primitve way in which the girl used to describe the prodding of a oddly unified Force, the armored Force user nevertheless nodded his head as he answered her question.

"That is correct. When I first came to this...land, I was uncertain about the course of my future. However, after receiving a..prodding to investigate a disturbance, one which I am sure both you and your first companion are intimately familiar with, as well as discovering the the apathetic nature of some of your compatriots, my purpose became clear".

His words managing to earn an approving nod from his teammates, though he could sense that the Elf was irritating at acknowleding that he was capable of performing a 'good deed', Vader allowed his respirator to drown out the continuing conversation as he used the Force to gain a better sense of the obstacles they would soon face.

It didn't take long to pinpoint their adversaries.

And apart from the one individual presence whose power was nearly equal to the average member of his Jedi hunters, the fallen Chosen One could detect nothing that would be an immediate threat.

At least to him.

And though this it had been many years since he was placed in a position where he did not possess the role of leader, his efforts on Shu-Torun being the closest he had come to following the orders of those who were not his superiors in the Force, Vader was certain that his...teammates possessed enough competence to accomplish this mission.

For unless he had to, he would complete this task as he had done others after his failure on the plains of Mustafar.

Alone, and without expecting those to help him.

…...

**ANNNNNND I think that's enough for now.**

**Believe I provided you all with plenty of material for this chapter. Will take MUCH longer to write the combat scene, but had enough campfire bonding here to HOPEFULLY...tie you all over XD.**

**Hope you all enjoyed this.**

**Reviews/Beta reader applications are welcome (flames not).**

**Til next time 😀**


	10. On the Front Porch

Though having gotten used to dealing with opponents who were lacking anything resembling the basic tenants of common sense, Vader still felt the familiar emotions of disgust as he observed what passed for security with these disgusting creatures.

If the objective of a nest was to remain undetected while it built it's strength, surely the best way to do so would have been to conceal its sentries in camouflaged checkpoints, or even molding the environment to enhance the perception that there was nothing in the area except abandoned ruins.

Not having a pair of Goblins and their canine companion openly confirm the entrance to their underground dwelling. In the art of concealment, they were even worse that the Rebels had been on Hoth. For at least the Rebellion had made the attempt to establish their base on a planet that lacked any indigenous civilization.

The only thing that lessened his annoyance was the fact that his so called companions, particularly the elf, shared his viewpoints when it came to the intelligence of Goblins.

"Ok. I know that Goblins are stupid, but this is a bit much. Most people know this place is an abandoned elven fortress, so what do they thinks going to happen if they stand on guard like that? Its like their asking to be wiped out".

Inclining his helmet to show his agreement with this line of thought, Vader found himself wearing a slightly confused expression as this viewpoint was slightly challenged by the man whose obsessive tendencies would have impressed even Sidious.

"Their not stupid. The fact that their openly declaring their presence, not to mention the fact that they have a wolf as a pet, is an indicator that the situation is worse than we realized".

Suspecting where the armored adventurer was going with this, the former Jedi held his tonge as Goblin Slayer expanded his reasoning.

"If the nest was struggling, not only would they have taken greater efforts in concealing their presence, most likely by having their sentries positioned in far less exposed area, but they would have chosen to eat the wolf instead of wasting resources to keep it alive. The fact that they have one that appears to be somewhat well fed, as well as trained, not to mention the sloppy way in which their performing their guard duties, means that this nest has more resources than a normal sized nest".

Mildly impressed by his..comrade's deductive skills, and sensing that the rest of the group accepted this line of reasoning, Vader felt his anger building as the more brazen member of their group jabbed a finger at him in an accusatory fashion.

"Thats all fine and dandy. But how the hell are we supposed to get close enough without the big guy giving us away? I'm a fantastic archer, but from this distance, I can't guarantee my arrows will hit their target".

Turning his head so that the Elf was staring directly into the lenses of his helmet, Vader's voice carried an unmistakable level of iciness as he pointe his own finger at the green haired immortal.

"It would be wise to keep your doubts about what I can do to yourself girl. Especially when its clear that your own abilities are not as infalliable as you've previously thought. However, since I suspect you require a demonstration of my continued usefulness, perhaps you should ready your weapon".

Though he enjoyed watching his female companion sport an expression that warred between rage and condesencion, the former Jedi found himself nodding his head in approval as the archer complied with the first part of his plan.

"Very good. Now, I take it that your experienced enough with your weapon that you are capable of shooting more than 1...projectile at once"?

His words earning a laugh from the pointy eared archer, Vader cross his arms in an unimpressed manner as he was forced to listen to the boasting of one who had already proven her abilities to those who had also doubted her skills.

"What part of 'fantastic archer' didn't you understand? I'll have you know that I can accurately hit 5 targets at a range of ...

"Considering our present adversaries are noticeably less than 5, I trust that you will have no difficulty hitting 3 targets at once"?

Enjoying the scowl that had come over the previously smug archer's face, the armored Force user inclined his forward as the girl proceeded to notch 3 arrows to her bow.

"Good. Now. Aim for your targets. And release your arrows upon my signal. Understood"?

His order being met with confused frowns from the female members of the group, as well as mixed looks of unease and intrigue at his little demonstration, Vader felt a ghost of Anakin Skywalker's cocky smirk spreading across his scarred features as he provided his companions with a minor demonstration of what he was capable of.

"Release".

...

Though she knew that her aim was perfect, Elf Archer knew that a lot more went into acheving a perfect shot than simple accuracy.

One had to consider the effects of the wind. The potential for the target to move at the last second. Knowing how far she could draw her bow before it snapped.

It was because of these factors that had caused her to question her ability to take out the Goblin sentries with a single arrow. One perhaps, but all of them? That was a tall order.

Shooting 3 arrows at once improved her chances, but the distance was still too great to guarantee a triple kill.

Which is why her expression shifted from irritation to shock as she watched each of her arrows hit their mark.

"Congratulations. Your boasts about your accuracy were correct".

Her eye's narrowing as she turned to stare at the black armored adventurer, Elf Archer found her mood souring further as Dwarf Shaman decided to comment on their joint efforts.

"That was an impressive shot you two. Never would have occurred to me to use magic to force an already launched projective to go faster, but I suppose you learn something new everyday. Though its odd. I didn't hear you utter a single incancation Vader. What spell did you use"?

Gritting her teeth as the Dwarf loudly announced what was held to be a taboo by her people, the green haired immortal found herself fighting the very real urge to shoot the towering adventurer shamelessly accepted the praise in a unmistakenly arragoant manner.

"Thats because I didn't use a spell. However you are correct in your observation regarding what I did to help take out our enemies. I trust that tI've managed to erase your fears about being discovered before we descend underground"?

Not trusting herself to speak, for she doubted that she could contain her less than pleasant remarks if she gave a verbal reply, Elf Archer slowly nodded her head in answer to Vader's question.

"Good. It would be unfortunate if I had to use more...persuassive measures to convince you of my usefulness. Now, shall we proceed onwards? The sooner we descend into the beasts' lair, the sooner we can bring an end to our temporary partnership".

Gritting her teeth at the thinly veiled threat from the towering adventurer, the green haired immortal was prevented from offering her own witty reply thanks to the cause of her ire turning his back to her and marching towards the entrance of the Goblin lair.

And while she would never act on these feelings, partly because she had the suspicion that Vader was already expecting it, the lithe figured archer managed to get her temper under control as she imagined the highly pleasing scenario of shooting the insufferable armored man in the back.

...

Despite earlier concerns about maintaining the element of surprise, the unlikely group experienced no trouble as they ventured deeper and deeper into the abandoned fortress without encountering any sign of their green skinned quarry.

In fact, if it hadn't been for the dead sentries outside, most of the group would have started to believe that the Guild's intel was wrong, or at the very least outdated.

Which was why some of the more talkative members of the group decided to express their suspicions as to why they hadn't encountered any further proof of the stunted subterranean dwellers.

"Not that I'm doubting your skills, or your commitment Vader, but don't you think you'd be better suited to other types of adventuring work? Exterminating Goblins seems to be a bit...beneath you".

His word's causing the armored adventurer to turn his helmet in what he presumed to be either amusement or consideration, Dwarf Shaman found himself sporting a look of astonishment at the man's informative reply

"Not at all. While the work may be less...glamorous than other missions, it is...oddly rewarding in its way. Even if I have to employ a more...specialized method to keep us from being detected".

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity at this bit of information, for from what he could tell the armored adventurer had taken no measures to lower the volume of his breathing, the bearded magic user was prevented from inquiring further as the youngest member of their group suddenly gasped in disgust.

"EGGHHH. What on earth is that smell"?

Having been part of the rear guard, it took a moment for the Dwarf to wonder what the golden haired cleric was going on about.

Then it hit him.

Holding his nose as he tried to block out the pungent smell that had sent most members of their group into gagging fits, Dwarf Shaman managed to gesture with his available hand.

"I...cough cough...I think it's coming from there".

Though expecting the rest of the group to silently agree with his rather obvious deduction, the stunted spellcaster was surprised when the least comforting member of their group strode towards the closed door with the same sort of purpose one would expected from a predator stalking its prey.

"You are correct".

….

Inwardly cursing his helmet's ability to amplify his sense of smell, for the stench was only barely more tolerable than the scent of his own cooking flesh, the former Jedi used the Force to open the chamber door and beheld a sight that filled him with familiar rage.

For just like that night nearly 30 years ago, here was another woman that had somehow managed to cling to life despite being held prisoner by creatures who knew only how to destroy.

But unlike that night, the former Jedi was not alone in his discovery. Nor was he alone in feeling the same emotions of horror and disgust that only a sane person would experience if they got to view the sight that his helmet afforded him.

While the left side of the woman's body was completely unblemished, the same could not be said for the right.

Scars, burns, bruises.

It was clear that her Goblin captors had been most thorough in their attempts to brutalize their captive.

However, it was not these marks of shame that caused the Force wielding cyborg too willingly call upon the Dark Side of the Force.

It was the simple fact that the poor woman was experiencing further assaults to her body by a creature that managed to surpass the Tusken's in their brutality.

Thus, it was with a great deal of satisfaction that Vader telekinetically slammed the raping Goblin into the wall, before ending its pitiful existence with a single clench of his hand.

'Wha...what did you do"?

Turning his helmet so that he could see the shocked expression of his pointy eared...associate, the former Jedi, still experiencing the 'joy' of killing something that truly deserved it, stated the obvious.

"What does it look like girl? I was charged with killing these creatures. And that is precisely what I've done".

Expecting the smaller adventurer to retort in her usual anger filled way, Vader felt himself unpleasantly surprised by her following actions.

"HURRRGGGHHHHH".

Stepping slightly back to avoid the torrent of undigested sustenance that escaped from the heaving girl's mouth, the armored Force User decided to hold his tongue as the rest of his party went to perform a service that came hard to him.

Providing comfort.

…..

Annnnnnd gonna end this chapter here XD. I apologize since it was my original intention to complete the first 'party' dungeon segment in one go, but case of writers block/not enough time to refamiliarize myself with this episode have gotten in the way.

Hopefully however you all (specially that 'Guest' who keeps leaving messages in my other updated stories) enjoyed this chapter.

Tried to keep the personalities/interactions as close to cannon/believable as possible.

Vader's trick with the arrows (I.e. using the Force to give them more power) I think is plausible, since the Vader comic Burning Sea's shows that Vader has a range limit when it comes to using the force on his opponents. (at least when it comes to human sized ones). Also sorta based it on the fight between Sidious and Yoda in ROTS where Sidious uses the force to speed up the descent of the pods, not just by using gravity. So yeah...same concept XD.

As for Vader and the Elf Captive, believe his reaction would be plausible given that he would be able to sense/see the Goblin before the other members of his party.

And will expand on his 'stealth' trick later.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Plz Review. No flames/keep reviews relevant to THIS story and not my other ones XD.

Til next time.


	11. Dealing with Goblins

Though it had been many years since he concerned himself with the well being of others, his recent actions on this technologically backward world notwithstanding, the former Jedi nevertheless felt a spark of pity enter his heavily stained soul as he watched his companions examine the heavily tortured woman.

His tenure at the Emperor's chief enforcer had ensured that he was intimately familiar with the ways of using pain to achieve what he wanted, but his decision to deploy such methods had always served a purpose.

Strengthening either his or his subordinate's connection to the Dark Side.

Forcing a prisoner to divulge valuable and time sensitive intel.

These had been acceptable excuses to justify the use of torture. But never once during his time as Sidious's apprentice had he used torture as a source of entertainment. Though his Sith Master lacked his aversion to such activities.

Which is why he always took great delight in punishing, if not out right killing those that derived perverse pleasure from the suffering of others.

For his sole remaining joy during his time in the Empire had been killing those that deserved it. And considering that these creatures had no qualms in making their female victims wish for death, Vader derived immense satisfaction whenever he had a chance to show them that there was no escape from his swift judgement.

However, while he could claim sole responsibility for this Goblin's death, he would take no part in providing aid to it's victim since his armor had been designed to be intimidating to those who were unlucky enough to draw his attention.

It was possible to get used to it if one was regularly in his presence, but the former Jedi sincerely doubted that the woman was in any state of mind to mistake him as a comforting presence.

Though that didn't meant that he couldn't observe the actions of his less threatening companions as they did their best to address the woman's injuries.

"Hmmm. Despite the state we found her in, I do believe that she is in no immediate danger of suffering the separation of her spirit from her body. However in order to ensure this, she needs immediate medical treatment. And considering the...nature of her captivity, I doubt that she is in any condition to accept our orally delivered medication. Do you perchance have any miracles that could aid this woman's healing"?

Listening with approval at the competence of the towering, yet surprisingly gentle reptile, Vader found his interest rising as he heard the slightly defeated tone of the youngest member of their group.

"I've been blessed with minor heal, but that won't be enough considering how hurt she is. If we could get her out of here, and deliver her to a more experienced healer, that would work. But if we do that...".

"We increase the chances of this sort of torture happening to other members of my people. And though it pains me to say it, we can't put them in danger just to save the life of one person".

Slightly inclining his head to show that he agreed with the female archer's reasoning, though his former self would have refused to even consider such an option even if it was the most tactically sound plan available, Vader found himself experiencing the rare emotion of astonishment as the feather wearing lizard decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Then it is a good thing that the Great Nagas have seen fit to bless me with the ability to provide us with an additional set of arms.

_"O horns and claws of our father, Iguanodon, thy four limbs, become two legs to walk upon this earth" _

Eye's widening as he watched the bone Lizard Priest had drawn morph into a full blown skeletal replica of its creator, for this was an ability that equaled the skills his former master had claimed had once belonged to the Sith of old, the former Jedi waited until the creature had disappeared into the darkness with it's 'prize' before seeking to give voice to his curiosity.

"Impressive ability you have there. Is this power limited to only skeletal constructs? Or can it be used to make puppets out of more...filled out materials"?

Though surprised by the sudden interest displayed by his less than talkative companion, Lizard Priest nevertheless answered the question without a hint of hesitation.

"I'm afraid that such abilities are beyond me, and will remain so long as I remain true to my quest to become a Great Naga. For to manipulate the flesh of the deceased instead of allowing it to rest is something that requires alignment with more...malevolent forces".

Unsure if he should feel annoyed or amused at the reptile's answer, for such an explanation was similar to the excuse the Jedi gave when refusing to partake in teachings that required one to touch the Dark Side, Vader was prevented from commenting further thanks to their bearded teammate.

"I don't see why a man like you would need to learn such a thing. Considering how you took out that Goblin without any effort, without an incantation to charge your spell I might add, I'd say that you could use your time doing something more productive".

Turning his helmet so that he could stare at the amused looking Dwarf, who obviously wanted him to explain how he was able to kill the deceased creature without using this world's 'magic', the former Jedi found himself agreeing with his companion's opinion.

"True. I've spent enough time combating mindless constructs that relearning how to make my own would be...tedious to say the least. Though the same can not be said for the girl's healing abilities".

His words causing Priestess to adopt an expression that was part pride part embarrassment, Vader was prevented from making further inquiries thanks to the man whose level of focus would have caused him to be praised by both the Jedi and the Sith.

"We need to keep moving. The longer we stay here, the greater the risk of our party being discovered".

Inclining his head forward to show that he agreed with this argument, the former Jedi fought to keep his temper as their bow using teammate proceeded to once again reveal that age did not equal wisdom.

"Considering the noise from the brooding statue here, I think that the chances of maintaining the element of surprise are already slim to nil. So unless you have some way to turn it off, I say let those monsters come".

Having no desire to weaken himself by turning off the shoddily designed respirator, for unlike his hunting trip with Tarkin there was no need to take such a gamble, Vader found his hidden eyes widening in slight surprise as the youngest member of their party raised her hand.

"Umm...I can't turn it off, but I can make sure that no one will be able to hear it. Though it might have the drawback of rendering you mute until it wears off...BUT I won't do it unless you say I can".

Crossing his arms as he considered Priestess's answer, for the temporary inability to speak was a small price to pay for achieving a tactical advantage, even if it was unneeded, Vader found himself nodding his head with the proposal.

If only because he recognized the benefit of creating a favorable impression with a girl who may perhaps possess the means to improve his physical condition.

"Very well. You have my permission to proceed.

...

Grateful that the towering adventurer hadn't been offended by her offer, and pleased at the slight approving nod Goblin Slayer had given when she made her request, Priestess took a deep breath as she prepared to be used as the earthly conduit for the miracles of the Earth Mother.

_"O Earth Mother, abounding in mercy, grant us peace to accept all things"._

Feeling the familiar rush of grace course through her soul before it was channeled to her intended target, Priestess allowed a small smile of satisfaction to cross her features as the chamber echoed with nothing but silence.

If Vader was shocked or displeased with this state of affairs, she couldn't say. But it was clear that this sudden silence was greeted with acceptance by not only Elf Archer, but also by the man who had saved her.

"That is sooo much better. Gotta remember to make a trip to the Temple to thank the Earth Mother for having a miracle like this".

"Indeed. Now we will be much harder for the Goblins to notice".

Smiling in annoyed amusement at Goblin Slayer's response, the blond cleric released a frightened yelp as her mind echoed with the voice of another.

"_Nice to see that at least one of us is able to focused on the tactical applications of this...miracle. I trust that the rest of you have sufficiently enjoyed my...condition to carry on with our task"?_

Staring in shock at the black armored adventurer, for he had once again proven that he could use magic without the proper incantations, Priestess was prevented from revealing Vader's rather useful, if frightening, ability thanks to the slightly teasing tone of their bearded teammate.

"Now that we've managed to ensure that we have the element of surprise on our side, shall we continue on? I don't know about you, but I'm feeling less than merciful towards those little green monsters".

Though she nodded her head to show that she was prepared for the next confrontation, the blond haired girl nevertheless frowned in concern as her fellow female responded to the Dwarf's suggestion in a manner that, while understandable, was nevertheless heartbreaking to witness.

"Good. For what those little...monsters did, they deserve everything that's coming to them. Isn't that right Goblin Slayer"?

Her words earning a brief, but nevertheless solemn nod from the focused adventurer, Elf Archer turned her glaring countenance towards the silently watching monolith that was Vader.

"And what about you Vader? Are you going to help out? Or are you going to act like a pouting little bi...hey did it just get colder in here"?

Shivering at the sudden drop of temperature, and rightfully suspecting the cause of it, Priestess kept her mouth shut as Vader pushed past the justifiably enraged elf and headed deeper into the fortress.

"Well, I think he just answered your question Long Ears. Though I think it might be wiser to hold your tongue. With a man like that, there's only so much you can say or do before his patience runs out".

Thought narrowing her eyes at the retreating back of the black armored adventurer, who had been wordlessly joined by the so called leader of their group, the green haired archer nevertheless nodded her head to show that she would respect the Dwarf's advice.

At least for the moment.

For it wasn't in her nature to leave things well enough alone. And she was determined to find out what made Vader act like the unfeeling prick he appeared to be.

...

Though enjoying the relatively novel experience of not having to listen to the grating sound of his respirator, Vader nevertheless was slightly irked at his current inability to speak, mental communication notwithstanding, as the group went over their plans to deal with the horde that rested beneath them.

Not because their strategy was flawed. But rather because his presence made such efforts unnecessary.

If one had a blaster in one hand, and a saber in another, the logical thing to do would be to kill one's enemies using a method that didn't deplete one's ability to respond to unseen threats.

The young girl had already used two of her four so called miracles, with only one of them being useful from a tactical standpoint. Though he did not begrudge the healing she had performed on the woman who had unfortunately been captured by creatures that were even more loathsome than the Tuskens.

The reptilian cleric had similarly used one of his limited supply of spells in aid of rescuing the tortured female from further harm. But considering that his species was gifted with both great strength and natural weapons, the former Jedi suspected that the scaled adventurer did not require the use of spells in order to be viewed as a formidable opponent.

The same could probably be said for the Dwarf For despite his short stature, and the fact that his...'energy' was perhaps greater than any of his teammates except perhaps the young girl, the bearded adventurer nevertheless appeared to have the skills to make an effective hand to hand fighter.

And as for the other 2, the annoying female whose age surpassed that of the former Grand Master of the Jedi Order was only proficient with her bow and arrows. And the one they called Goblin Slayer, while possessing a great deal of skill and knowledge when it came to the art of combat, at least when it came to Goblins, lacked the same augmenting abilities that most of his companions possessed.

If this had been the days where his only reason for living was the preservation and expansion of Sidious's Empire, Vader would have probably allowed his displeasure with this plan to be known with a quick Force Choke or two.

But since his son had managed to ignite the near non-existent spark of light that had remained within his tortured soul, the former Jedi decided to choose a less violent, but by no means less practical method of dealing with their Goblin foes.

Walking to the edge of the of the pit, and ignoring the silent cries of alarm from his so called teammates, Vader allowed his disgust for the creatures below to strengthen his connection to the Dark Side of the Force, and watched in satisfaction as they met their demise.

...

As a being who had lived for 2000 years, the High Elven Archer could honestly say that she had experienced many strange and peculiar sights over the years.

Learning that a hero of renown was nothing more than a Goblin obsessed human in grimy armor. That would have probably remained at the top of her list if it wasn't for the terrifying sight that was currently happening in front of her.

She had already been shocked that the living suit of armor she called a teammate was capable of using magic without speaking an incantation.

But to watch said teammate extend his hand and cause countless weapons to hover over the heads of their sleeping Goblin owners? She could honestly say that she was feeling more than a little scared at having failed to treat Vader with anything approaching respect.

A feeling that only grew as each of the hovering weapons suddenly, and swiftly embedded their blades in the skulls of each and every Goblin.

Doing her best to keep her eyes fixated on anything but the black armored figure, Elf Archer sputtered in indignation as her human teammate offered his opinion to the completed massacre.

"Hmmm…effective work".

Managing to regain the ability to form words, the green haired immortal shot Goblin Slayer a look that clearly expressed her feelings towards his statement.

"Effective work? That's all you have to say for...this"?

Her word's causing the armored human to tilt his helmet in what she presumed was a questioning manner, Elf Archer released a sigh of resignation as Goblin Slayer lived up to his reputation.

"The Goblins were killed without the use of any spell, miracle, or physical excursion on our part. So I would say that nothing more has to be said".

If no one else had voiced their approval for Vader's method of dealing with the Goblin threat, she probably would have been more willing to keep venting her unease at what she just witnessed. But sadly, apart from Priestess, whose expression seemed to be a mix of horrified fascination and relief, the remaining members of their group expressed their agreement with Goblin Slayer's observation.

"Goblin Slayer has a point Long Ears. Thanks to Vader, the risk of coming to harm were lessened, and we're still fresh enough to take on any opponent that still lives".

"Indeed. Though brutal, it cannot be said that our comrade's method in dealing with the Goblins wasn't efficient. A truly impressive display if ever there was one".

Seeing that the majority of the group supported the actions of their intimidating teammate, who was currently crossing his arms in a manner that she interpreted to be smug, the green haired archer reluctantly nodded her head.

"Fine. But please, next time you pull a stunt like that, can you maybe give us a heads up? I know your currently don't have the ability to talk, but you could have at least….LOOK AT ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU".

….

Ignoring the Archer's outrage at his perceived rudeness, Vader prepared himself for battle as he sensed the final, and most powerful creature that existed within this defiled fortress approach.

"I thought I had smelt something unpleasant enter my fortress. But to have you weaklings destroy the army the Demon Lord gave me? Do not think that you will survive against the likes of me. For you have proven yourself capable of destroying my Goblin soldiers, you shall all fall before the awesome might of an Ogre".

Smirking in amusement at this creature's declaration, if only because it possessed enough strength to provide a bit of a challenge for him, the former Jedi was unsure whether he should chuckle, or sigh at the dismissive tone of his fellow human.

"Oh. So your not a Goblin"?

Ignoring the exasperated reactions of his teammates at this comment, and sensing that Goblin Slayer's words had served to provoke the Ogre into attacking, Vader decided to end this confrontation before it began.

Clenching his fist, the former Jedi watched in dark satisfaction as the towering enemy extinguished the flame it had conjured into its hand, and proceeded to try and free itself from the invisible grip that was slowly chocking the life out of it.

However, unlike the vast majority of those who had found themselves on the wrong end of a Force Choke, the Orge possessed enough intelligence to recognize that the best way of freeing itself was to break the concentration of the one trying to kill it.

Halting the swing of the over sized club before it made contact with his body was simple enough.

Stopping a rather large and explosive fireball, not as much.

Fortunately, while his efforts to halt the Ogre's attack meant that he could no longer maintain his Force Choke, his teammates actions were sufficient to ensure that he wasn't knocked out of the fight.

"_O Earth Mother, abounding in mercy, by the power of the land, grant safety to those who are weak_".

...

**ANNNND Thats enough for now XD Merry Christmas everyone XD**

**Apologises for the cliff hanger, but writers block/wanting to make sure that this was out by Christmas ensured that this is what i've come up with.**

**Tried my best to remain true to my version of a 'redeemed' Vader. And had great fun writing his interactions with Elf Archer. The idea has been suggested to ship the two, but as of right now, I have no idea how to do it.**

**Hopefully you all got a laugh at how the silence miracle was used on him. Orginal idea was to follow the canon plot (I.e. Dwarf drinking spell...with the incantation MAYBE coming from the abridged, and Priestess) but decided that it was unnecessary if Vader is going to kill every Goblin single handed.**

**Dont think using the Force to use the weapons of Goblins to kill them is too implausible. Clone Wars Villain comic shows Dooku threatening gangsters with floating blasters, Cartoon (the 2003 not the 2008 one) Old Republic trailers show Sith and Jedi using piles of debris as weapons. So Vader using the Force to lift dozens of small and basics weapons and having them drop (blade first) into the skulls of Goblins, is more or less believable…at least in my opinion lol.**

**As to why he simply didn't use his lightsaber to kill the ogre, and settled for a Force Choke, mostly its because I wanted Vader to be humbled a little bit. Still intend to have him deliver the finish blow, but also want him to get used to a team setting. Cause lets face it, Vader could kill every goblin in that fortress, plus the ogre, without the help of the characters. But then there wouldn't be too much of a plot XD.**

**Anywho, hopefully you enjoyed this chapter. **

**Reviews welcome. Flames not.**

**Til next time. **


	12. Death of a Brute

As a member of one of the more impressive races that chose to pledge loyalty to the Gods of Chaos, the Ogre possessed the strength and power to defeat nearly any pitiful adventurer that foolishly chose to enter his domain.

He wasn't arrogant enough to believe that he could stand against the heroes that had defeated the Demon Lord 10 years ago, or take on the newest champion that was dealing with the most powerful survivors of the Demon Lord's army. But against the type of adventurer that was usually tasked with the eradication of the weakest race that served the Gods of Chaos? The Ogre should have been able to swiftly and easily deal with those that lacked the strength to pursue more...praise worthy achievements.

That had been his initial presumption after he had first sniffed the unmistakable stench of Goblin blood being spilt. But that thought had quickly evaporated as he felt his throat squeezed by a hand that was as unyielding as it was invisible.

If he had been any other creature, like say a Goblin, the Ogre would have probably used his hands to try and pry off the steel like fingers that were preventing him from drawing breath.

But such was not the case.

It didn't take him long to identify his attacker, an armored warrior that looked more like one of the Demon Lord's armored constructs than an adventurer, and acted accordingly.

However, instead of his club turning the strange spell caster into a crumpled pile of metal and organs, the Ogre found his attack stopped by the same magic that was preventing life enriching air from reaching his lungs.

So, as his vision started to go black, he used his sole remaining hand to form his last attempt to cling to life.

And miraculously it worked. Even if that small human female had done her part to ensure that her party didn't get consumed by the power of his fireball.

But as his throat was now free to suck in some much needed air, he would grant them that small mercy.

Short though it might have been.

For now he knew which of these pathetic fools he had to take out first. And while his first impulse was to drag out the suffering of the one that had nearly granted him a ignoble end, his more tactical mind recognized that a quick victory was his only chance to wi...

'_Khoooooooh Purrrrrr. Khooooh Puurrrr'._

...

With the sound of his no longer muted respirator echoing throughout the chamber, Vader was uncertain whether he should feel irritation towards the towering creature, or with himself.

He had sensed that the power of the being, while formidable when compared to the strength of the rest of his party, was hardly greater than that of a moderately skilled Jedi Knight. And thus had deemed it to be little threat to him. However, unlike the majority of those who had the unfortunate privilege of finding themselves in his Force induced grip, which at one time had included even Sidious himself, this creature had managed to resist the impulse to clutch uselessly at it's throat and try and break his concentration.

Stopping the oversized club with the Force while maintaining his invisible grip had been simple enough.

Using the Force to maintain his chokehold while stopping himself from being crushed to death AND from being set ablaze?

That was sadly beyond his ability to deal with quickly.

Fortunately, the young cleric had intervened before the flames could make contact with his body. Which in turn allowed him the chance to consider the best way to deal with this Rancor sized opponent. Who quite rightly identified him as the most powerful member of this unusual gathering.

On one hand he could once again use the Force to choke the life out of the hulking brute. And now that he had a better sense of it's abilities, he could avoid a repeat of his first attempt.

And yet despite the way in which this could easily be accomplished, Vader dismissed this idea entirely.

Not because he feared that his method would fail. But because the creature had earned a more dignified end.

Thus, the former Jedi slowly but steadily walked towards the enraged monster, and ignited his blade.

...

"HEY! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING"?

Despite the grimness of the situation, Dwarf Shaman could only chuckle at the Elf's emotional outburst.

"What does it look like he's doing long ears? He's going to try and salvage his pride as a warrior".

Normally, such a sight of bravado would have caused the portly spell caster to shake his head in resigned pity. For this wasn't the first time he had witnessed a comrade try and foolishly reclaim his lost honor. But considering what he had seen of Vader's abilities, Dwarf Shaman suspected that his comrade would be the one to emerge victorious. Not their formidable foe.

Sadly however, a certain flat chested immortal had other ideas.

"Tsssk. What's the use of pride when your too dead to enjoy it"?

Though agreeing with that particular sentiment, even if he would never voice his agreement where Elf Archer's ears could hear him, the bearded adventurer was unsure if the Elf's aid was required for this particular battle.

Which is why he decided to wisely step back and join the rest of his silently watching companions.

...

If he wasn't already enraged by the audacity of these pitiful, yet undeniably deadly intruders, he would have laughed at the sight that was in front of him.

Despite the fact that this wasn't the first time he had dealt with the scum that foolishly called themselves adventurers, this was perhaps the first instance were his foes decided to abandon the false security of strength in numbers.

Something that was perfectly fine with him since it meant that he no longer had to ensure that each one of his blows was a killing one.

And considering that he desperately wanted to punish the puny warrior that made him experience the cowardly emotion of fear, the Ogre would ensure that each and every one of his blows would make his enemy beg for death without actually causing it.

But sadly, one of the potential carriers for his future spawn seemed to lack the intelligence of her cowering comrades.

If she possessed a magical weapon like the black armored one, she might have posed a threat. But armed with only a bow and arrow, she couldn't possibly do any h...

His dismissive thoughts vanishing in the split second it took for the pain of the optic puncture to course through his head, the enraged Ogre barely registered the buzzing sound of his enemy's glowing weapon as he tried to pull out the offending projectile.

The problem was, the more his fingers tried to grab the arrow shaft, the more a stinging sensation pass through the upper portions of his arm as his fingers continued to fail in their simple task.

Turning his good eye towards the suddenly useless limb, the towering ogre choked in disbelief as he was met with the sight of his smoking handless limb.

Snarling at the loss of his hand, the wounded creature was prevented cursing the one responsible for his humiliation thanks to the armored one's latest assault.

...

Smirking beneath his mask as his thrown lighsaber made contact with the muscled torso of his enemy, and having learned from his earlier mistake of leaving his foe capable of fighting back, Vader clenched his fist and watched with dark satisfaction, and some slight annoyance, as his blade made the creature suffer the same fate that had been suffered by Sidious's first apprentice.

Calling his lightsaber back into his hand, and ignoring the perfectly audible gasps of surprise from most of his so called teammates, the former Jedi kept his blade ignited as he slowly made his way over to the bisected creature.

"What...what sort of creature are you"?

Slightly impressed that his halved opponent still had the strength to form coherent sentences, and using the Force to prevent it from lashing out in its final moments, Vader only had one word for the partially blinded creature as he raised his lightsaber.

"Death".

...

In a world where the Gods amused themselves by using their chosen pieces to compete each other in a never ending game, there were only a limited amount of futures one could expect if they had attracted the interest of the watching deities.

The most common fate to be had, and the one that served as a trial run for those that had gained the attention of the ruling powers, was to be killed by the weakest members of the opposing side. Goblins killing eager young adventeruers who desired to make a name for themselves, untrained farmers killing the creatures that could become a true terror if they lived long enough to evolve. It did not matter the moral alignment of selected pieces. They all ended up sharing the same fate.

Of course for those that survived this intial ordeal, 2 choices were presented to them. They could either choose to continue their path where they ran the risk of sharing in the fate of their fallen comrades. Or they could abandon their dreams of glory and pursue a life of obscuirity. For in their eternal game, no one was safe from the attention of the Gods.

However, there were 2 slight exceptions to this rule.

The first one had at one time attracted the interest of those deities that were interested in the advancement of heroes. But following the destruction of the only home he had every known, and then his decision to focus his potential on the weakest members of the Forces of Chaos, the mortal that bore the title Goblin Slayer lost this fickle favor. And thus had been discarded as a piece that was deemed to unimportant to permanently remove from the board, even if no deity, good or evil, wished to add him to their collection of minions.

The second exception, and the one that had recently gained the attention of the ranking deities, was the one whos soul bore the marks of a man who had spent his life almost equally divided between the forces of good and evil.

Add to the fact that his formidable power came the same source as the Gods themselves, albeit on a much more limited scale duhey sirehis position as a mortal, the Gods had locked themselves into a stalemate as the armored man chose to follow the path of an adventurer.

For those that were considered to be the Forces of Good, they looked upon this piece's actions as proof that he would fit in with those that enjoyed the title of hero.

But their opposites had a conflicting opinion.

Yes this piece had chosen to target the weakest race that worshiped them, but they could see how each life he took, especially in the manner in which he did so, only served to highlight his capability for violent destruction.

But, since he had yet to directly call upon the forces of either side to aid him, much like the discarded piece, the watching Gods were unable to do more than influence his decision to seek divine favor.

The Light, through one of its agents had already alerted the mortal to the possibility of what the Light could offer him. But the Dark wasn't too overly concerned since it suspected that such a course of action would lead the mortal more vulnerable to its influence.

For it could sense that its future piece's condition was a result of foolish pride.

And as the more devout mortals were fond of saying, Pride goeth before the fall.

...

**Annnnnd that's enough for now XD.**

**Apologsies for the shortness of this chapter, but once again, afflicted with the terrible illness known as writers block. However, am pleased to finally reach the point I had envisioned when I first came up with this story. **

**Pleased to see how much interest this story has gained, and now to address some of the comments that have been made.**

**For those that are against a Vader pairing, I have decided that, for the time being at least, he will have no pairing. This is due in part to the fact that Vader/Anakin had never shown interest in anyone who wasn't Padme, and the questionable state of his...lower half. Cause as Robot Chicken pointed out he did have his 'wang dipped in molten hot lava". Yes I know he didn't actually fall into the lava (movie just shows his legs catching fire from being too close), but the sentiment is there XD. **

**However, that does not mean he can't form other types of relationships. **

**As for those who questioned how weak he is, for either plot device etc, I point out it is still possible to take him by surprise. Though hard to do. Tarkin at out point fought him to a draw, albeit at the cost of all of his slug and flame thrower equipped hunting team, and even then it took a bolt of lightening to knock him down. And then of course, over a decade later, you have him wipe out a large Rebel company almost single handedly without suffering any major injuries. Both Canon and Legends tend to prove that it is VERY hard to take him by surprise twice.**

**And as for the ending, think I did a pretty good job in summarizing the view points of the Gods in regards to their game. Unlike Goblin Slayer, who as I recall has been more or less dismissed as a viable piece in the game between the Gods, Vader, because of his powers, and the fact that he has spent all his life more or less equally in both aspects of the moral spectrum, he represents the type of piece that any deity would wish to possess. As for the bit about their powers coming from the same source as Vaders, leaving that ambigious for now, however as Star Wars has shown, magic is just one way an individual can interact with the Force.**

**Anyway, hopefully you all enjoyed how he dealt with the Ogre. I confess that I was influenced by the fan made video on y outube where Vader and Obiwan's battle on the Death Star is much more epic. Highly recommend you look it up. Thinks its under title Vader vs Obiwan remastered. **

**Plz review, no flames.**

**And I will begin work on the next chapter as soon as I can. **


	13. Travel Filler

Despite the fact that she had been presented with undeniable proof that the black armored adventurer was a being that was not to be taken lightly, the immortal archer still allowed her irritation to show as she was forced to listen to not only the unnatural sound of his breathing, but also the chattering of her companions.

Though in the case of the latter, her annoyance stemmed from the fact that they seemed to possess the ability to ignore Vader's breathing while she did not.

"So Goblin Slayer, how did you enjoy being part of our party? Makes killing goblins a whole lot easier huh"?

In truth, she wasn't sure which annoyed her more.

The Dwarf's continued ability to maintain an upbeat attitude despite the less than pleasant experience they had just shared .

Or Goblin Slayer's continued inability to give more sastisfying responses.

"All the goblins were killed. And that's all that matters".

Releasing an indignant huff from her corner of the moving carriage, Elf Archer found herself smirking as the youngest member of their merry band proceeded to chastise her fellow human for his attitude.

'G...Goblin Slayer, we talked about this. Killing goblins is good and all, but what's more important is that no one was seriously hurt while doing so".

Chuckling at the indiginant expression that was currently being worn by the blonde cleric, the pointed ear archer found herself shaking her head in slight annoyance as Vader decided to abandon his somewhat silent brooding.

"Considering that the quest has been completed, I suspect that our so called...handlers will not overly concern themselves over how we accomplished this".

Frowning at the man's cynical nature, if only because it caused Priestess to adopt a more depressed expression, the green haired immortal opened her mouth to berate the magic using warrior.

Only to have her bearded companion beat her to it.

"Oh now I wouldn't say that. I think that there may be one or 2 pretty young lasses that would prefer a certain silver ranked adventurer to come home unscathed. Wouldn't you agree Goblin Slayer"?

Shooting a mild glare at the grinning Dwarf Shaman, Elf Archer was once again prevented from making her opinion known thanks to the interruption of her repitllian teammate.

"I full heartedly agree. While the female members of my tribe gladly welcome home those who have survived their forays into the wild, I have always noticed that their feelings of joy are increased by the lack of any serious injury".

Having noticed the same thing amongst her own people, the green haired immortal shook her head in bemusement as Goblin Slayer once again lived up to his name.

"As long as one's injuries don't get in the way of killing Goblins, then it shouldn't really matter".

Pleased to see that she was not the only one to groan at this answer, though she noticed that both Dwarf Shaman and Lizard Priest's expressions were more amused than irritated, Elf Archer found herself raising an eyebrow in amazement as Vader decided to voice his support for the Goblin obsessed human in his usual curt manner.

"You are correct".

Rolling her eyes at man's attitude, the green haired immortal watched with interest as the black armored warrior seemed to stiffen as her bearded party member took charge of the conversation.

"You have an experience with such things Vader? From what we saw in the underground, I think its safe to say that you don't strike us as the type to easily suffer an injury".

Shivering as the temperature of the wagon dropped to almost winter like conditions, Elf Archer wisely held her tonge as the black armored warrior gave his reply.

"Once that was not the case, Dwarf. And while I cannot deny that my...experiences have molded me into what I am today, I assure you that I would have preffered a less pain filled jounrye to achieve my current range of abilities".

Frowning as she tried to understand what he could have meant by this, the green haired immortal was prevented from giving voice to her curiosity thanks to the concerned sounding tone of Priestess.

"Is that why you wear that armor? Because you would otherwise be in pain"?

If she hadn't been concentrating her attention on the black armored adventurer, she would have missed the way he stiffened at this question.

...

In all the years since Sidious confined him to the best sympbol of his conversion to the Dark Side of the Force, Vader had never before heard anyone every ask him about why he wore this shoddily designed armor.

Oh he could always sense their curiosity. But he could also sense their fear of giving voice to it since they more or less rightfully suspected that they wouldn't live long to regret voicing their curiosity.

However, unlike the parasitic courtiers, or toadying sociopaths that fawned over the monster he had been forced to call master, he could sense no trace of mockery, or disgust in the girl when she asked her question.

Which was why he reluctantly decided to answer her.

"I wear this suit not as an escape from the pain of my injuries, but to ensure that I do not succumb to death after INCURING THEM".

Feeling as if he had said enough, Vader once more fell back into usual brooding silence. Only to be once again broken out of it by the indignant, and annoyingly perceptive tone of his more irritating companion.

"You mean to tell me that instead of seeking treatment for your life threatening injuries, you chose to torture yourself by wearing some shoddily designed piece of armor. I know mortals have some issues when it comes to common sense, but that strikes me as being particularly foolish".

Doing his best to smother the desire to throttle the pointy eared archer, the fallen Jedi was prevented from giving in to his temper thanks to the hesitant sounding voice of the youngest member of their party.

"If...if your truly in pain Vader, I...I can maybe help you be rid of it".

...

**Gonna stop here for now. Apologises for the cliff hanger, but I am once again experiencing the case of writers block, and a lack of enthusiasm/inspiration for this story.**

**Hopefully, I will be able to rekindle it by reading the latest Goblin Slayer volume, playing various questing games, and of course, watching GS abridged XD.**

**Want to thank you all for your continued support for this story.**

**Will try to get back into it, but doubt next chapter will be anytime soon.**

**Reviews yes, flamers no.**

**Til next time.**


	14. A Healing Interlude

**Author's note: Due to popular demand, and a sudden touch of inspiration, here is the next chapter XD**

...

Though few would ever had dared to have accused him of cowardice, whether during his tenure as a Jedi Knight or the Emperor's most powerful enforcer, the black armored Force user felt himself hesitate as he approached the threshold of his anxious looking companion's home.

If he was still the glorified slave of Sidious, he would have clung to the cold persona that he had developed since his...reconstruction, and have demanded the practitioners of the facility to operate on him at once.

But since his son had managed to reawaken the light that had slumbered within his soul, though he often noted that it hadn't been enough to purge the darkness from him, Vader experienced the same type of hesitant hope that he had last felt when enquiring of his mother's fate after his Jedi savior had told him he had been freed.

For while he had long accepted that his broken body would never be healed, something which had no doubt pleased his sadistic and pragmatic Sith master, and something that he himself had deemed to be acceptable given his actions towards his beloved wife, the former Jedi had nevertheless dreamed what it would be like if he hadn't descended into the molten rivers of Mustafar.

The ability to breath fresh air without the aid of machinery.

Being able to move his body without the now familiar sensation of pain.

The ability to eat properly.

The list was nearly endless,

And now, thanks to the selfless and innocent nature of a girl who was scarcely older than his Padawan had been when she rightfully recognised the flaws in the Jedi Order, he might just have a chance to restore some of what had been lost for decades.

The only things standing in his way were his fear that this would not work, and the fact that the Girl had led him to a place that had never before been stained by the touch of evil.

In fact, the energy that flowed through and around this stone constructed building reminded Vader of how the Jedi Temple had felt before the onset of the Clone Wars, but at the same time was both purer and yet more welcoming in nature.

He did not deserve to step into such a place.

But while he did his best to smother his fears, the decision to either accept or deny this precious gift was taken from him thanks to the understandably anxious tone of his shorter companion.

"Now when we get in there, please let me do all the talking. The Sisters and Abbot Mother are decent people, and are always willing to extend their help to those in need, but they might be a bit...taken back by your appearance. So again please, don't do anything to scare them".

Though believing that such an event was inevitable, for Sidious had ensured that his mobile prison was as terrifying as it was painful, Vader nevertheless nodded his head as he sensed the approach of an already anxious welcoming committee.

...

Pleased though she was at receiving her companion's agreement to let her take the lead, Priestess nevertheless still felt a degree of understandable nervousness as she addressed the woman who practically raised her.

"Mother Abbess. How delightful it is to see yo...".

"BEGONE FOUL DEMON. REMOVE THYSELF FROM THESE GROUNDS LEST I CALL UPON THE HOLY EARTH MOTHER TO SMI...".

"WAIT! Mother Abbess, I assure you that this man is not a demon. I have brought him here because I believe that the Merciful Earth Mother can help him".

Praying that her hurried explanation had put the older woman into a more considerate mood, for she knew first hand what Vader was capable of when he was in a bad mood, Priestess let out a slightly terrified squeak as her towering companion abandoned his former silence.

"I would advise you to listen to your young disciple madam. For while I will refrain from being the first to act violently, know that I am more than capable of ensuring that you will not have long to regret your actions should you instigate hostilities".

Doing her best to maintain her composure, something that was rather hard to do since the Abbess seemed on the verge of doing exactly what Vader had suggested, the blond haired cleric summoned her courage to charge of the situation.

"THATS ENOUGH VADER. You said you wanted to be healed? Your going to lose your chance if you keep antagonizing the ones with the ability to do so. I can only ask the Earth Mother to allow me to cast minor healing miracles, and since you indicated that your wounds are more serious than a stab wound, I suggest you stop being...well you".

For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the metallic rasp of Vader's breathing. For Priestess's unexpected rant, long building since she had started hanging out with a certain silver ranked adventurer, had managed to shock not only the black monolith she called a companion, but also the woman who had instructed her in the teachings of her chosen deity.

However, like all things, it quickly came to an end.

"I suppose I was a tad...hasty in my conclusions. When you had announced your intensions to take a more...uncertain path to spread the teachings of the Earth Mother, I knew that you would eventually associate with the more...unique individuals that traverse our lands. However, I hope you don't mind me saying so, I had never dreamed that you would ever be in the company of one whose appearance is, to say the least, rather menacing".

Pleased at the Abbess's willingness to at least try to look past her prejudices, something that had been rather difficult for even the more experienced members of the Adventurers Guild, Priestess quickly answered her former teacher before Vader could respond.

"While it is true that Vader's appearance is somewhat...intimidating, and is no stranger to the ways of violence, I assure you that he is a true champion when it comes to fighting the forces of evil. Even if his preferred method of doing so is a bit...unorthodox. Which is why I am hoping you can help him Mother Abbess. For it is my belief that his ability to resist the temptations of the Forces of Darkness will be enhanced if he receives proper treatment for the wounds he has suffered".

Hoping her little pitch would work, for she strongly suspected that Vader would greatly resent having to repeat what had been a tense, yet oddly incomplete explanation of the state of his body, the blond haired cleric sighed in relief as her former teacher gave a slow, yet nevertheless accepting nod as she gestured for the duo to follow her.

"Then we will do our utmost to ensure that this happens. Though I warn you mister...no...Sir Vader, that while our healers are quite skilled, depending on the state of your injuries, we might not be able to fully restore you to what you once were. So long as you accept this, I will gladly order the preparations to begin".

For a moment, Priestess thought that her towering companion would reject the offer. If only because she felt that Vader somewhat believed her was unworthy of help.

However, that thought quickly evaporated in the face of his rather blunt reply.

"Do it".

...

Cheerfully humming a tune as she finished putting away the rest of the evening's dishes, Cow Girl turned towards her childhood friend with a smile as she took a seat across from him.

"You know this was nice. Normally when you go out on a quest you don't get back until after dinner. I take it your latest adventure went well"?

Receiving a nod from the still armored Goblin Slayer, the busty red head maintained her smile as she received her expectedly short answer.

"It did. All the Goblins were killed. And my party barely sustained any injury".

Tilting her head as she considered his answer, Cow Girl's smile became a tiny bit wider as she commented on the change in her childhood friend's usual style of questing.

"Well that's good. I mean, with more people watching your back, that means that you have a better chance of coming home safe and sound".

Earning a non committal grunt from the armored adventurer, the busty red head's expression morphed into one of carefully guarded concern as she asked her next question.

"Are...are you going to keep adventuring with a group? Cause...I worry you know".

Though his eyes were hidden by that helm of his, Cow Girl could nevertheless feel the weight of his stare as he answered her question.

"So long as they want to kill Goblins, I see no reason not too".

Knowing that was his equivalent of saying 'yes he would, for now at least', the red head nodded her head in acceptance as she waged an internal battle with herself.

On one hand, she could use her friendly connections with the Guild staff to find out all there was to know about the people her friend surrounded himself with. Specifically if her friend had formed any more than professional relationships with his so called colleagues.

Though considering the barely concealed feelings of a certain blond haired receptionist, she was uncertain if she would discover anything useful or not.

But on the other hand, if she was to interfere in this part of his life, there was a possibility, however remote, that he would resent her for it.

It had taken 5 years of constant patience to reach the point where she could still see some of the boy he had once been before their fateful argument. And she wasn't going to jeopardize it for some childish bit of jealousy.

For the moment, it was enough to know that her friend cared for her, albeit in his own, non verbal way. And knew that he always had a place to call home.

And should the time come when he finally developed the kind of... appetite she had read about in the books she had been careful to hide away from her Uncle, she was confident that she could more than hold her own against any potential competition.

The blond cleric she had seen him with was too young to pose much a threat in the immediate future. Not to mention that questing in a group limited the ability to become intimate in the wild.

And as for the receptionist, while giving off an air of maturity, not to mention possessing a body that was only slightly less developed than hers, seemed to lack any ability in the homemaking arts.

Which gave her the advantage.

...

Though he could still sense the disproving glare of his companion, something that was slightly understandable given his decision to reject the advise of his healers, Vader easily ignored the annoyed girl as he enjoyed the first meaningful improvement to his health in decades.

While the healers, or more specifically the deity from which their power descended lacked the ability to regrow his limbs, or even rid himself of the need to rely on his respirator, the former Jedi was impressed with what they had managed to accomplish.

His skin no longer bore the constantly pain filled reminder of his time on the lava banks of Mustafar. For the group of understandably horrified women had not removed any trace of his burns, but they had also managed to ensure that the previously scratchy synthetic skin was properly accepted by his body.

Which would ensure that he wouldn't need to undergo the understandably unpleasant sensation of having necrotic flesh being scraped away from his battered body.

Vader was already enjoying his new found freedom from the constant burning and itching he had been forced to endure, but his new found transformation did not stop there.

For while he refused to allow his healers to try and heal his lungs, if only because he doubted their deity granted them the ability to purify the air to the same degree as his sealed meditation chambers, they had been able to cure the constant pain he had been forced to endure ever since Sidious's droids had repaired his spinal cord.

Which meant that he no longer had to deal with the unpleasant sensation of feeling like his shoulders were about to be pulled apart.

And finally, the healing techniques of the nuns had begun the process of ensuring that he wouldn't have to rely on his suit's life support systems.

His lungs of course would remained damaged until he found a way to ensure that he could breathe without using the Force to draw in oxygen. But his heart would soon be capable of regulating his blood flow without the use of machines.

Which meant that he could extend the life of the power cells that enabled his suit to function.

But if what his bearded companion had told him was true, even this would prove to be a minor problem.

His healing was still incomplete. But having existed in a state of perpetual pain for 24 years, Vader was unwilling to follow the advice of his healers to rest, for he wanted to revel in his new found freedom.

Something which his companion understood, but greatly disproved of.

"I have to say that I'm still against this decision. Considering what you had just gone through, I would have expected you to take at least a day off to get used to your new...condition".

Acknowledging the point with a nod of his helmet, and reveling in the fact that the act of doing so brought him no pain, the partially restored Force User gave a more verbal response.

"If you had been forced to endure what I have had to for over 2 decades, you too would lack the patience to enjoy the benefits of an improved state of health. Besides, considering the relative scarcity of willing and competent...adventurers, I suspect that my absence would increase the work load of the one they call Goblin Slayer".

Though fully aware of the shocked, but appreciative smile that had come over the girl's face at this declaration, in truth Vader had no strong feelings for the silver ranked specialist for either good or bad.

Yes he was a competent enough fighter. And lacked the usual arrogance that usually stemmed from personal acknowledgement of this fact.

And yes he was willing to do whatever it took to destroy an enemy that few people took seriously.

But in truth, at this point of time, his only real interest in Goblin Slayer, mild though it was, was caused by the fact that he acted like how a Jedi Knight should be.

Selflessly risking their life to keep the people safe. Willing to use any means at their disposal to do so. And uncaring of any thing remotely related to politics.

All that mattered to the Silver Ranked adventurer was that he accomplished his mission of ensuring the safety of others.

A trait that was not held by every member of the organization in which they belonged to.

Some were in it for the glory.

Others truly wished to help people, but lacked the ability to recognize what could truly help those that could not protected themselves.

And some, not only lacked the ability to care for people other than themselves, but also hid their less than pleasant personas behind a mask of cheerful civility.

Like the furious stunted boy that was currently coming down the stairs of the Guild building right as he and Priestess stepped in from outside.

...

Though he would have liked nothing better than to have driven his dagger into the neck of that Goblin obsessed streak, if only because his presence had ensured that he couldn't teach that blond haired bitch a lesson she would never forget, the disgraced Rhea knew that he would have to bide his time until a more opportune moment arrived to have his revenge.

However, while he was able to ignore the questions of his former party members, who all desperately wanted to see if Guild Girl was in a promoting mood, Rhea Scout was unable to hide the anger he felt at his humiliation.

To be banned from adventuring in this dirt poor frontier town was one thing. But to be demoted to the same rank as the rookies who could barely survive simple Goblin slaying quests, that was, in his mind, unforgiveable.

Especially since the latest members who had decided to follow in the footsteps of Goblin Slayer had been promoted for their efforts.

That, was too much for him to take.

And thus, instead of ignoring the oddly matched duo that had just arrived, the dishonest Rhea angrily turned towards the blond haired cleric as she expressed her concern for his current state.

"Are you alright"?

If he had been a less volatile state of mind, he would have chosen to give an acknowledging grunt to such a stupid question. For he had seen first hand what had happened to those that annoyed the towering monolith that seemed to now be part of Goblin Slayer's gang.

But unfortunately for him, he allowed his anger to cloud his judgment.

"Mind your own business you stupid bit...GRKKKK".

Uselessly clawing at the invisible fingers that had enclosed around his neck, the newly demoted Porcelain ranked adventurer was hoisted into the air until he was staring directly into the reflective lens of the towering magic user.

"Your disrespect is as unwelcome as it is unwarranted. If you wish to retain the ability to use all of your limbs, I suggest you apologize to the one who did nothing to deserve your scorn".

...

Relaxing his invisible choke hold so the ill tempered adventurer could comply with his order, Vader remained silent as the latest victim of his irritation gasped out his apology.

"I...I'm sorry...fo...for insulting you".

Immediately releasing his grip, the towering Force user formed a small frown beneath his helmet as his young companion decided to speak up after her fleeing 'attacker' was out of sight.

"You...you didn't have to do that you know. While I don't like it, I can understand the need to vent if someone is having a frustrating day".

Turning his helmet so he was staring into the slightly downtrodden expression of the innocent adventurer, Vader decided to offer his own opinion regarding what had just transpired.

"Perhaps. But when one has only oneself to blame for their less than favorable circumstances, the act of using others to vent these frustrations is unacceptable".

Which hadn't stopped him from lashing out at countless Imperial personnel during the years of his servitude to Sidious, but he deemed it would have been unwise to mention this to the young cleric.

In any case, Vader felt that his actions had been justified. For through his connection to the Force, which to his perception seemed a touch easier to touch since he had finally begun to accomplish what his Sith Master could, or would not implement, the slightly redeemed Sith Lord could sense in the stunted adventurer the same type of emotions he had felt in the most corrupt and self serving of politicans.

Dismissive of those that they viewed to be their inferior.

Hateful and envious to those that possess more power than they do.

And murderous when their true nature has been inadvertently revealed.

If the adventurer ever decided to act on these feelings, Vader was confident that such a confrontation would be easy enough to deal with.

Besides, he had more important things to accomplish this day.

Like testing his newly healed body against the miserable creatures that in some ways portrayed all the worst qualities of his former master.

Robbing a person of everything they held dear, and then leaving them to exist as a soulless husk that welcomed death.

...

Though she knew that the rest of the abbey's healers would be able to satisfactorily perform their duties while she rested, the Mother Abbess desperately wished she had the daily chores of her younger sisters since it would have allowed her the chance to concentrate on something that didn't have to do with what she had gone through the previous evening.

As befitting for one that belonged to an order that was dedicated to healing those that had sustained everything from the grievous of wounds to minor illnesss, the leader of the abbey had come across many individuals whose moral alignment could be, at best, be slightly questionable.

But it wasn't until her most promising pupil had brought in her rather intimidating companion that the aged healer had dealt with an individual whose spirit seemed to be almost equally divided between good and evil.

Added to that was the physical state of the man's body.

She didn't know how long he had been forced to live with those injuries, but to her experienced eye she could tell that they were not only far from recent, but that little had been done to alleviate the pain they must have been causing for the man.

Astounded by her patient's willpower to suffer such hardship, and more than a little disgusted that nothing had been to done to ease his suffering, the head of the abbey, and her most gifted pupils, had spent the entire night calling upon the Earth Mother to help this damaged, but nonetheless stubborn warrior regain some semblance of his former ability.

But this wasn't what had shocked her.

No, her unease stemmed from a vision that had been granted to her by the Earth Mother as they were healing his burnt skin.

For in this vision, she had her earlier suspicions about the man's capacity for both good and evil confirmed.

She was uncertain if Vader was aware of her newfound knowledge, but if he was, she could only be grateful that his redemption had occurred before his association with her favorite pupil

For she had been given glimpses of not only the great deeds he had accomplished while fighting against the type of injustices that sadly plagued her world, but also how he had been corrupted to the point where he was a key instrument in spreading the cause of an even greater evil.

While comforted by the fact that Vader had eventually found the strength to reject this darkness, the piercing yellow eyes and sadistic cackling of the monster that could transform such a noble hero into a villain continued to haunt her.

For it was a reminder that any hero, even one that had the purest of intentions, could eventually be corrupted and serve the very thing they had sworn to destroy.

...

**ANNNNNNNNNND that's enough for now XD**

**Hopefully this chapter (both in length, content, and upload speed) makes up for the shortness of the last one XD Its truly amazing what can be accomplished after getting past a certain point XD**

**Anyway, think I did a believable 'Vader getting healed' summary. Will do more in the future, but too many stories out there where he gets healed all at once (whether its through the Force, or the use of cloning new limbs/organs, or some sort of biomechanical tech with nanites). Based my own 'healing' on a story where suited Vader is sent back to the clone wars, joins the CSI, and gets some healing at the medical asteroid XD.**

**Also his views for Goblin Slayer, believe are accurate enough. But will probably expand in future.**

**Hopefully you all enjoyed this chapter, especially the bit with Rhea Scout, one of the non Goblin characters in the series who deserves his fate. But since this is fanfic...I believe I can improve on the beat down he gets XD.**

**Next chapter will cover the Water town arc**

**Plz review. No flames.**

**Til next time.**

**Ps. Have a new poll up on my profile page to see if Vader should get a pairing in this story. Currently could go either way myself, so if you could vote either yes or no, would be appreciated :D**


	15. A Promoting Perception

Savoring the last drop of his ale, partly because he enjoyed proving to his anvil chested companion that there were some things that a Dwarf could do better than an Elf, Dwarf Shaman set down his mug as he directed his attention towards his cheerfully feasting companion.

"Is it really that good Scaly? Far be it for me to question the dining selection of a hard working adventurer, but a little variety now and then goes a long way to keep you on your feed".

Watching in amusement as the reptilian adventurer consumed the rest of cheese that had been given to him by their human colleague, the magic using Dwarf found himself nodding his head in agreement with the reply he received.

"True. But surely you can understand the importance of combining the joy of filling one's belly with the equally important task of fulfilling one's soul? Or do you not derive pleasure as well as sustenance from the drinking of spirits"?

Conceding the point with a chuckle, and noticing the less than amused expression of their less ravenous companion, Dwarf Shaman allowed a slightly teasing smirk to spread across his face as he refilled his mug.

"I suppose you have a point there. And unlike a certain leaf eater I could mention, I am fully able to enjoy more than one sip of drink before I lose my sense of balance".

And as expected, his comment served to inspire a comeback from the easily provoked immortal.

"The only reason your able to keep your sense of balance is because 80% of your weight is in your gut".

Allowing a slight frown to cross his features, the bearded adventurer was about to deliver his own insult, one that would once again point out the Elf's somewhat lacking feminine figure, only to be interrupted by the unmistakable approach of the most contradictory adventeruer he had ever met.

"_Khooooh Puuuhr"._

Gulping the entirety of his recently refilled mug, for he suspected that he might need a little bit of liquid courage to witness a certain anvil yell at a man whose tactics were as brutal and they were imaginative, Dwarf Shaman was more than a tad surprised to hear the voice of their less experienced comrade speak from Vader's shadow.

"Good morning".

Allowing a smile to cross his aged features as he turned to face the rather odd couple, for the black armored adventurer towered over the young cleric, Dwarf Shaman cheerfully returned the greeting.

"Good morning Priestess. Vader. I trust that both of you are well"?

Earning a nod from each of his comrades, and uncaring of the fact that Vader's was perhaps a little more stiff than the shorter human, the Dwarf had to sigh as a certain pointy ear archer once again provided a clear example that Elves possessed no tact.

"Considering that he's still wearing that armor, kind of a stupid question to be asking Dwarf".

Expecting the towering adventurer to either flinch or use his weird magic to make them feel like they were standing on a frozen mountain top, Dwarf Shaman was greatly surprised by the man's response.

"Despite my continued need to wear this...armor, your response to your comrade's inquiry is somewhat inaccurate".

Grinning at the Elf Archer's open mouthed expression, the bearded spell caster was prevented from teasing his green haired companion due to the spoken interest of a certain cheese loving reptile.

"Truly? Then that is indeed splendid news! May I ask then about the current state of your well being? For to be healed by one's comrades is something to truly appreciate as well as celebrate".

Agreeing with Lizard Priest's suggestion, primarily because it gave him another excuse to order another round, Dwarf Shaman was disappointed, but not really surprised by Vader's less than informative answer.

"Improvements have been made. However. The specific of my state of health is something that will remain between myself and those directly involved with my...healing".

Shooting the gulping cleric a sympathetic smile, for there was no mistaking the threat in the towering adventurer's tone, Dwarf Shaman nodded his head in the face of Vader's guarded words.

"Sounds sensible enough. As long as a person's health doesn't negatively impact those around them, its nobody else's business. Though I hope you'll indulge a rather minor question".

Doing his best to keep a friendly expression on his face as the black armored figure crossed his arms in a manner that was somewhat threatening, the bearded spell caster released a tiny sigh of relief when he received a curt nod.

"Since you've already demonstrated that your quite the unstoppable force before Priestess made her...offer, am I wrong in suspecting that you'll only be more of an assesst on future quests"?

Though he could not see his face thanks to the skull like helmet, Dwarf Shaman nevertheless got the impression that a small smirk was currently being worn by the armored adventurer.

However, before Vader could give a more verbal answer, preferably one that had words instead of that off putting breathing of his, the unmistakable voice of their more...focused companion made itself known.

"Good. Your all here. I have a...".

"Let me guess. A request to exterminate another group of goblins"?

Shaking his head in amusement at the immortal archer's accurate, if somewhat rude interruption, Dwarf Shaman stroked his beard with a considering hum as Goblin Slayer gave his answer.

"Perhaps. The contents of the letter were scarce in details, but the religious leader of Water Town makes it clear that our services are required".

Upon hearing this, a certain blond haired cleric stiffened in a manner that amusingly enough reminded the bearded spell caster of his younger self.

"Did...did you just say the religious leader of Water Town is asking for our help"?

Receiving a single nod from the shoddily equipped human, Priestess let out a squeak that was part excitement, part indignation as Goblin Slayer gave a more verbal reply.

"Yes. Though I fail to se why that would matter".

Chuckling at the man's inability to let important details get in the way of his obsession, Dwarf shaman had to frown as Goblin Slayer all but trivialized a piece of information that should have been mentioned before the news about their next quest.

"Oh that reminds me. The Guild staff wants to see the pair of you before we go. Something to do with receiving recognition for the previous quest you completed".

Though he lacked a certain anvil's inability to hold their tongue when someone displayed a total lack of social skills, the bearded adventurer nevertheless nodded his head in agreement as High Elf Archer voiced her displeasure with the Goblin specialist.

"And you pick NOW to tell us? THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE FIRST THING YOU OPENED WITH INSTEAD OF GOBLINS".

...

Despite the fact that it had been years since he cared about his perceived rank, though he had to admit his quest to find his son had been much easier after he had managed to redeem himself in Sidious's eyes, Vader nevertheless felt slightly happy for receiving acknowledgement of his deeds.

Even if it did remind him of his remaining years in the Jedi Order.

"Well, everything seems to be in order. So let me be the first to congratulate you Vader for advancing from porcelain rank to steel rank".

Accepting the offer of congratulations with a nod of his helmet, the armored Force user nevertheless was a bit confused by his...promotion.

"I thought that the obsidian comes after porcelain".

Receiving a nod from both the pony tailed girl and her 2 companions, the first being another of the guild's receptionists while the other was the well endowed companion of that overly confident spear user, Vader allowed the ghost of a smug grin to cross his restored features as he listened to the girl's explanation for his...advancement.

"You are correct. However, due to the reports written by your companions, and your past solo exploits, my superiors have decided that your skill set deserves a more substantial form of recognition".

Accepting this line of reasoning with another nod, the armored former Jedi found himself once again nodding his head in approval as Guild Girl continued her explanation.

"Of course you understand that part of this promotion also stems from your reliability. It is not enough for an adventurer to have great power. They must also be recognized as using their abilities for the common good. And since your actions have resulted in not only benefiting your party, but also those that have, and would have suffered at the hands of evil creatures, I would not hesitate

to say that you have accomplished this".

Pleased to have his efforts recognized, especially since Guild Girl's words carried none of the disproval he had experienced from the Jedi Council, or the flattering tone of the monster that had introduced him to a new form of slavery, Vader couldn't help but voice something that revealed that he was working to soften the solitary brooding image he had lived with for the past 24 years.

"And what about the girl? Is she to also in line for...a promotion"?

He received a smiling, but nevertheless firm nod to his question.

"Yes she is. However unlike yourself she will only be advancing to the next rank rather than skipping it like you have. But considering her current record, that is by no means unremarkable".

Nodding his head to show that he was satisfied with this answer, Vader silently accepted the piece of metal that signified his current status within the organization he belonged to.

It was during this exchange that he recalled a conversation he had had with Kenobi during the early years of his Jedi training about the importance of belonging to an organization instead of being a free agent.

For while he could get people to follow his instructions/obey his whims through a clear demonstration of his abilities, it was far simpler to achieve this by simply stating that he was a member of a recognized pillar of society.

And one that had no issue in giving him the recognition that he deserved.

...

Though she could no longer use her eyes to see the world like she had once used to, the voluptuous Archbishop could nevertheless honestly say that her clarity had never been higher.

For thanks to the divine blessing of her deity, she could now see what others could not.

However, this gift occasionally caused her nothing but frustration since there were times were she would have liked to see what type of body could house such unique souls.

Of which the most recent example were 2 of the 6 adventurers making their way towards her.

The first 4 were simple enough to picture in her mind since she had run across such spirits before.

A source of unshaken faith and purity of one that had already glimpsed that there was evil in the world.

A proud and ancient soul that still possessed a sense of wonderment that one could expect from a child.

One that had been tainted by sadness, but had recovered by finding joy in the present.

And one that bore the power of a beast, but would only resort to violence when there was no other course of action.

By using her ability to see their auras, Sword Maiden had little difficulty in correctly deducing that these souls belonged to a no longer sheltered cleric, an elf that was not yet weary of the passing of the seasons, a dwarf that lacked the insular nature of his people, and if her ears weren't playing tricks on her, one of the more beastly races that disliked using what most would consider to be proper footwear.

But these paled in comparison to the 2 that possessed the most unique souls she had ever seen.

The younger one bore obvious signs of being traumatized during the early stages of his life. But rather than let them overwhelm him like she partially had, this adventurer seemed to have utilized this forced upon darkness in order to provide him with the strength of will to unflinchingly meet every challenge that stood on his way.

The older presence however, that one was as terrifying as it was mesmerizing.

For while it was steeped in darkness, both of it's own making and from the influence of a great evil, Sword Maiden could nevertheless detect that the being whose breathing echoed throughout the TEMPLE was fighting to ensure that this darkness didn't consume the remaining light that existed within his soul.

And from what she could tell, he seemed to be succeeding even if the chosen method was something that most would consider to be unhealthy and dangerous.

However, since she was in no position to act against the evil that plagued the city she would have to hope that she wasn't making a mistake in enlisting the aid of such a person.

For she knew all too well that it was nearly impossible to be free of the evils of the past.

Especially when you were one of the unfortunate ones to not only be a victim, but also an agent of said evil.

...

**Annnd that's another chapter done XD. **

**Apologises for the lack of action...that sweet GAAAAWWWWBLINNNN slaying action, but I'm working to it XD**

**While I have no intention of taking down the poll yet, it appears that more ppl favor Vader being involved in some pairing than against it, but will make no decision until much later lol**

**As for the promotion bit, not sure if the series actually has characters advance more than one rank at a time, but I think we can all safely say that Vader would get a higher promotion due to his skill set. **

**Anyways, hope you all enjoyed this.**

**Plz review, no flames.**

**Til next time. **


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